INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Internally Displaced Persons: Sri Lanka

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent assessment is of the humanitarian situation in camps for internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The formal military conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and LTTE has now ended. The entire humanitarian caseload of 280,000 IDPs are now in camps under the control of the GoSL. The humanitarian response is moving from an emergency to a maintenance phase and basic living conditions are slowly improving. However, the lack of activity permitted such as freedom of movement remains of concern. Early return of the IDPs to their homes is vital.

Palestinian West Bank

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest assessment is of the effectiveness of his Department's projects to support economic development in the Palestinian West Bank.

Michael Foster: In 2008, the Department for International Development (DFID) funded two conferences aimed at encouraging investment in Palestine. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is now working with various stakeholders on conference follow-up and will be supporting a scoping mission to the West Bank in October.
	In partnership with the World Bank, we are also supporting the Palestinian private sector through the Facility for New Market Development (FNMD), which is currently helping 138 companies (115 in the West Bank) to develop new products and/or enter new markets. FNMD clients have already developed four new products and entered 13 new international markets.

Faith Organisations

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of faith organisations to his Department's work with civil society in developing countries.

Michael Foster: During 2007-8, the Department for International Development channelled over £21 million through faith organisations to support their development efforts.
	Faith organisations play a direct and vital role tackling poverty in poor countries, providing essential services and humanitarian assistance. They are able to undertake inward and outward advocacy, mobilising support and helping change attitudes and behaviour of members on issues such as HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and the role of women.

Refugee Camps: Algeria

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department provides to people from western Sahara in refugee camps in Algeria.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports Sahrawi refugees through its share of the budget of the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) and its £19 million contributions to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), for its work with refugees across the world. In 2008, ECHO committed to provide €10 million to support Sahrawi refugees, while UNHCR spent $3.1 million in their support.

Africa: Overseas Aid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to discuss with his G8 counterparts their plans to meet their commitments on  (a) assistance to Africa, made at the Tokyo G8 summit in July 2008 and  (b) reducing the spread of infectious diseases.

Gareth Thomas: I discussed these and other matters with my G8 development Minister counterparts in Rome on 11-12 June 2009. This meeting reaffirmed G8 commitments on Official Development Assistance (ODA) and international assistance confirmed at the G8 summit last year in Japan. The G8, under the presidency of Italy, is continuing its focus on Africa. Global health, including reducing the spread of infectious diseases, also remains a priority concern.
	With less than three weeks until the G8 summit in July, discussions on the G8 development agenda, including meeting our commitments, are frequent and ongoing and taking place at ministerial and official level. They will be further discussed during the G8 Sherpa preparatory meetings scheduled for next week. The UK Government remain determined to meet their commitments to Africa and to fighting infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and polio and working towards the goal of universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. We are pressing our G8 colleagues to do likewise.

Rural Areas

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many days on average his Department's professional staff worked in rural areas in the last 12 months period for which information is available.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) has around 277 professional advisers posted in developing countries. The majority of our overseas staff are deliberately based in capitals, to facilitate our discussions with host governments, donors, and non-governmental organisations, including agricultural and rural sector reform. Staff regularly travel to rural areas, but we do not collate information on such visits.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what development assistance his Department is providing to  (a) the government of national unity in Sudan and  (b) the government of Southern Sudan.

Gareth Thomas: The UK Government do not transfer funds directly to the Government of National Unity (GNU) or the Government of South Sudan (GoSS). Most UK aid to Sudan is channelled through UN and World Bank managed multi-donor pooled funds, such as the Multi-Donor Trust Funds (MDTFs) in support of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, to which we have contributed £74.6 million since 2005 and through non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of family intervention tenancies in tackling anti-social behaviour.

Ian Austin: I have been asked to reply.
	No assessment has been carried out.

Crime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2009,  Official Report, column 185W, on crime, how many incidents of street drinking were recorded in each police force area in 2007-08.

Alan Johnson: The Home Office does not centrally collect data on incidents of street drinking. You may wish to view the data on consumption within a Designated Public Place Order (DPPO) which is provided in the table.
	Within a DPPO area it is not an offence to consume alcohol. The offence is committed when a person, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a requirement of a police constable to refrain from consuming alcohol (Section 12 (4) of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001).
	The number of PNDs issued for failure to comply with a requirement by a constable within a Designated Public Place Order are as follows:
	485 in 2004, 712 in 2005, 1,061 in 2006 and 1,544 in 2007.
	Data for 2008 will be available in autumn 2009.
	
		
			  Nu mber of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty, and issued with a level 2 fine( 1)  at all courts for offences relating to the Police Reform Act 2002 Sch.4 Para.5 (Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S.12). Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 in England and Wales, 2003 - 07( 2,3,4) 
			  Fine amount( 5) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty  Total fines  Fines up to £200  Fines over £200 and up to £500 
			 2003 108 94 73 72 — 
			 2004 122 96 78 78 — 
			 2005 101 76 63 62 1 
			 2006 101 73 59 59 — 
			 2007 113 98 76 75 1 
			 (1) A 'level 2' fine does not specify a minimum fine amount, only the statutory maximum for the given offence; therefore all fines in the above table could be classed as 'level 2' fines. There are a number of factors including the defendants' ability to pay that will affect the courts' decision to impose a fine and fine amounts should not solely be taken as an indication of the seriousness of the offence or offender. (2) These data are on the principal offence basis. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Includes the following statutes and corresponding offence descriptions: Police Reform Act 2002 Sch.4 Para.5 (Criminal Justice & Police Act 2001 S.12). Criminal Justice & Police Act 2001 S12. Contravene a community support officers' requirement not to consume liquor. Penalty offence under S.1 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001—alcohol consumption in designated public places. (5) Following quality assurance checks, one fine amount in 2003 has been removed. This amount was greater than the maximum permissible fine. Therefore the number of fines and the fine amount totals in 2003 will not match each other.  Source: OCJR—E & A: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit

DNA: Databases

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 10 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 1767-8W, on genetics: databases, what proportion of DNA records of people  (a) arrested but not charged for an offence,  (b) arrested, charged but not convicted of an offence and  (c) arrested, charged and convicted of an offence have resulted in matches with crime scene profiles.

Alan Campbell: As the National DNA Database does not hold data on whether those with records on it have been charged or convicted, the information requested is not available.

Entry Clearances

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visa applications from  (a) Pakistan and  (b) Afghanistan have been rejected by the Abu Dhabi hub after being forwarded for clearance by the entry clearance officers in Islamabad (i) in each of the last five years and (ii) since 27 October 2008.

Alan Johnson: No visa applications were forwarded by entry clearance officers in Islamabad to the visa section in Abu Dhabi for assessment before 27 October 2008. Between 27 October 2008 and 31 May 2009, 18,036 of the applications that have been forwarded from Pakistan have been refused. These include applications from both Pakistani and Afghan nationals.
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.

Entry Clearances

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is provided to  (a) British and  (b) locally engaged entry clearance officers in Pakistan and Abu Dhabi.

Alan Johnson: All entry clearance officers recruited for long-term postings undertake a mandatory three week training course from the central training team in the UK. In addition to the central training, newly recruited officers in both Pakistan and Abu Dhabi receive additional training and mentoring over a minimum three month basis from experienced officers and managers already at post. Locally engaged entry clearance officers remain on probation for this three month period. At the end of the three month period, officers are assessed against objective performance benchmarks to inform their future training and development needs.

Entry Clearances: Afghanistan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visa applications for entry into the UK have been made in Afghanistan  (a) in each of the last five years and  (b) since 27 October 2008.

Alan Johnson: There is no visa application centre in Afghanistan, nor has there been one in the past five years.

Entry Clearances: Pakistan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visa applications have been checked for fraud by entry clearance officers in Islamabad  (a) in each of the last five years and  (b) since 27 October 2008.

Alan Johnson: All visa applications have been checked for fraud in the last five years.
	Prior to 27 October 2008, Entry Clearance Officers in Pakistan conducted passport forgery checks in all cases that had been approved for issue and document verification teams augmented this by checking supporting documents. Since 27 October 2008 the passport forgery check has been extended to all applications and supporting document verification takes place in over 80 per cent. of applications.

Entry Clearances: Pakistan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many entry clearance officers based in Islamabad are  (a) locally engaged and  (b) British nationals.

Alan Johnson: As of 31 May 2009 there are 13 UK-based entry clearance officers working in Islamabad, all of whom are British nationals. None are locally engaged.

Entry Clearances: Pakistan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visa applications for entry into the UK have been made in Pakistan in  (a) each of the last five years and  (b) since 27 October 2008.

Alan Johnson: The number of visa applications for entry to the UK that have been lodged in Pakistan since 1 January 2004 are as follows:
	
		
			   Visa applications lodged in Pakistan 
			 2004 188,855 
			 2005 168,019 
			 2006 204,049 
			 2007 175,966 
			 2008 (1 January to 26 October) 132,855 
			 27 October 2008 to 31 May 2009 66,415 
		
	
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.

Entry Clearances: United Arab Emirates

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many entry clearance officers based in Abu Dhabi are  (a) locally engaged and  (b) British nationals.

Alan Johnson: As of 31 May 2009, there are 34 entry clearance officers based in Abu Dhabi, including seasonal relief staff. There are 11 permanent UK-based entry clearance officers and 10 locally engaged entry clearance officers.

Firearms: Crime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2009,  Official Report, column 593W, on firearms: crime, how many firearms offences (excluding those involving air weapons) were recorded in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 1998.

Alan Johnson: Available data relate to offences recorded in the period 1998-99 up to and including 2007-08, and are shown in the following table. Data for the period 2003-04 to 2007-08 by police force area were published in table 2.12 of "Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2007-08", an internet-only Home Office Statistical Bulletin available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb0209.pdf
	Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument against a person, or used as a threat.
	The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Data for the years up to and including 2001-02 are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		
			  Crimes recorded by the police in which firearms (including air weapons) were reported to have been used( 1)  by region and police force area: England and Wales, 1998-99 to 2007-08 
			  Recorded crime 
			   Number of offences 
			  Police force area  1998-99( 2)  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02( 3)  2002-03( 4)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  North East Region   
			 Cleveland 20 26 16 24 18 45 37 41 19 15 
			 Durham 13 40 18 19 16 15 21 18 14 45 
			 Northumbria 76 107 99 86 103 169 182 137 111 78 
			
			  North West Region   
			 Cheshire 32 22 44 50 31 44 61 71 41 59 
			 Cumbria 11 5 13 9 13 11 26 18 21 18 
			 Greater Manchester 647 875 935 1,361 1,240 1,275 1,268 1,200 993 1,160 
			 Lancashire 50 78 59 103 66 58 259 372 364 349 
			 Merseyside 286 240 278 299 318 483 491 485 410 398 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber Region   
			 Humberside 76 61 69 63 68 68 174 108 117 58 
			 North Yorkshire 11 8 9 28 18 23 13 15 14 17 
			 South Yorkshire 75 114 129 170 153 127 185 301 211 202 
			 West Yorkshire 193 191 335 332 333 269 318 355 319 332 
			
			  East Midlands Region   
			 Derbyshire 52 65 72 58 73 75 149 109 83 70 
			 Leicestershire 98 71 58 74 174 141 123 89 109 134 
			 Lincolnshire 16 19 24 22 37 26 90 72 45 41 
			 Northamptonshire 54 48 40 55 107 123 113 128 159 164 
			 Nottinghamshire 112 173 157 204 264 233 303 277 196 240 
			
			  West Midlands Region   
			 Staffordshire 23 53 108 116 131 108 144 128 94 123 
			 Warwickshire 20 14 39 53 62 102 73 80 90 107 
			 West Mercia 38 36 41 54 48 62 151 115 58 124 
			 West Midlands 407 664 817 1,288 1,101 1,138 959 946 979 974 
			
			  East of England Region   
			 Bedfordshire 46 56 48 82 86 89 94 103 86 83 
			 Cambridgeshire 35 43 31 49 57 34 50 34 24 30 
			 Essex 47 61 77 98 148 145 193 280 255 260 
			 Hertfordshire 30 36 36 69 139 138 139 114 89 112 
			 Norfolk 34 24 20 26 36 33 23 29 34 43 
			 Suffolk 15 18 22 15 28 45 59 58 42 38 
			
			 London Region(5) 2,034 2,945 3,036 4,199 4,202 3,891 3,697 3,884 3,331 3,399 
			
			  South East Region   
			 Hampshire 38 52 49 58 97 130 148 85 122 100 
			 Kent 76 109 108 60 64 65 100 142 92 82 
			 Surrey 35 42 52 40 34 88 63 87 60 70 
			 Sussex 115 119 110 155 136 82 67 85 84 69 
			 Thames Valley 96 107 198 267 362 421 437 401 332 322 
			
			  South West Region   
			 Avon and Somerset 71 103 100 131 119 123 196 167 138 116 
			 Devon and Cornwall 75 81 64 52 36 84 189 174 132 111 
			 Dorset 11 12 14 34 17 45 49 27 28 21 
			 Gloucestershire 22 21 23 89 92 108 87 77 65 43 
			 Wiltshire 19 10 13 26 60 53 49 43 69 49 
			
			  Wales   
			 Dyfed-Powys 16 13 26 26 17 37 40 21 17 25 
			 Gwent 26 19 11 18 52 74 85 53 33 47 
			 North Wales 26 10 6 6 18 11 60 88 98 53 
			 South Wales 31 52 67 56 74 47 104 71 67 84 
			
			 England and Wales 5,209 6,843 7,471 10,024 10,248 10,338 11,069 11,088 9,645 9,865 
			
			 England and Wales (excluding London region) 3,175 3,898 4,435 5,825 6,046 6,447 7,372 7,204 6,314 6,466 
			 (1) Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument against a person or used as a threat. (2) There was a change in the counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998. (3) Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard before 1 April 2002. (4) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002, which may have resulted in inflated figures for some crime categories. Figures before and after this date are not directly comparable. (5) City of London and Metropolitan police force areas.

Human Trafficking

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1087-88W, on human trafficking, how many  (a) arrests and  (b) convictions there were for human trafficking offences in each police force area in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: It is not possible to break down the arrest and convictions for each of the last five years.
	Figures from the UKHTC indicate that since the inception of the dedicated legislation, there have been a total of 568 arrests for human trafficking offences which have resulted in a total of 114 convictions. The figures for the number of arrests which are set out by force area below include 100 cases on which the outcome is not yet known.
	
		
			   Arrests  Convictions 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 7 1 
			 Cambridgeshire 23 0 
			 Cheshire 2 1 
			 Cleveland 3 0 
			 Cumbria 1 0 
			 Derbyshire 11 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 8 3 
			 Dorset 3 1 
			 Durham 1 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2 0 
			 Essex 11 0 
			 Gloucestershire 7 0 
			 Greater Manchester 63 8 
			 Gwent 2 0 
			 Hampshire 14 1 
			 Hertfordshire 6 0 
			 Humberside 1 0 
			 Kent 7 4 
			 Lancashire 18 6 
			 Leicestershire 15 3 
			 Lincolnshire 2 0 
			 Metropolitan 129 43 
			 City of London 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 
			 Norfolk 5 0 
			 Northamptonshire 11 0 
			 Northumbria 7 1 
			 North Wales 3 0 
			 North Yorkshire 8 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 17 0 
			 South Wales 20 6 
			 South Yorkshire 22 10 
			 Staffordshire 4 0 
			 Suffolk 9 0 
			 Surrey 8 3 
			 Sussex 27 0 
			 Thames Valley 9 4 
			 Warwickshire 5 5 
			 West Mercia 9 3 
			 West Midlands 44 5 
			 West Yorkshire 14 5 
			 Wiltshire 6 0 
			 BTP 4 0

Human Trafficking: Prosecutions

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted for human trafficking offences relating to labour exploitation under the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants EEC) Act 2004.

Alan Campbell: Figures provided by the UK Human Trafficking Centre indicate as of 24 May there have been 16 prosecutions and seven convictions for trafficking for the purposes of forced labour.

Human Trafficking: Prosecutions

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted for human trafficking offences relating to sexual exploitation under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Alan Campbell: Figures from the Crown Prosecution Service indicate a total of 267 people prosecuted under sections 57-59 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
	In this total there have been 106 convictions plus three for conspiracy to traffick which have arisen from sexual exploitation cases.

Parenting Contracts

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parenting contracts have been issued under section 19 and 25 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department collects and publishes data on the use by local authorities in England of education-related parenting contracts for poor behaviour and attendance at school. Data is collected directly from local authorities. Since data collection began in September 2004 to 31 August 2008, 55,107 parenting contracts for attendance have been issued to parents and 7,752 contracts have been issued for behaviour. Information on the number of parenting contracts issued to parents in each local authority can be found at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/behaviourandattendance/about/data.cfm
	Data in relation to parenting contracts issued to parents following their child's criminal conduct or antisocial behaviour is collected and published by the Home Office for the voluntary Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Survey. It can be found at:
	http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/asbos/asbos02b.xls
	Data is available by region only.

Police: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Chief Constable of Essex Police since January 2008 on mechanisms to ensure that information held by them is  (a) accurate and  (b) secure; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: These issues are a matter for the police authority in Essex, however individual chief police officers are responsible for the data held, managed and used by their respective forces. All chief officers in England and Wales are required to have regard for the statutory code of practice for the Management of Police Information, introduced in 2005, which requires forces to adopt practices for the management of information that ensure such information is used effectively for police purposes and in compliance with the law.
	In addition, the Association of Chief Police Officers has a community security policy (CSP) which all forces are required to be compliant with by March 2010. This policy covers a set of wide ranging controls to ensure data is kept secure. Reporting on compliance with the CSP is managed through the Police Information Assurance Board (PIAB) and supported by the National Policing Improvement Agency.

TREASURY

Banks: Regulation

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from the British Bankers' Association on the regulatory reforms proposed by the Financial Services Authority on capital requirements for banks.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials meet representatives of the British Bankers' Association to discuss a wide range of issues as need arises and receive written representations on a wide variety of issues. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings or receive correspondence.

Capital Gains Tax

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue forgone by the Exchequer as a result of alterations to the designation of an individual's main home to avoid payment of capital gains tax in the last tax year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: It is not possible to provide an estimate with the information available.

Child Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on child benefit in 2008-09; what proportion of that was paid to families with gross incomes of over  (a) £25,000,  (b) £40,000,  (c) £60,000 and (d) £100,000 per year; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The cost of child benefit in 2008-09 was £11,265 million.
	Estimates of the proportion of expenditure allocated to families with gross incomes of over  (a) £25,000,  (b) £40,000 and  (c) £60,000 per year are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Proportion of 2008-09 Child Benefit expenditure by income bands 
			   Percentage 
			  Families with gross incomes over:  
			  (a) £25,000 per year 55 
			  (b) £40,000 per year 34 
			  (c) £60,000 per year 16 
			  Note:  The numbers in this table are not mutually exclusive 
		
	
	The Family Resources Survey, on which these estimates are based, provides unreliable estimates for households with high incomes. An accurate estimate for  (d) could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Corporation Tax: Business

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of a reduction of one per cent. in the rate of corporation tax for  (a) small and  (b) large firms in the present tax year.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to Table 5 of the 2008 pre-Budget report: Tax ready reckoner and reliefs, which provides estimates of the effects of illustrative tax changes, and is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr08_taxreadyreckoner_287.pdf
	These figures exclude the behavioural impact of a reduction in the small company's rate, which is likely to lead to an increase in tax motivated incorporations.

Departmental Manpower

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Prime Minister's  (a) Strategy Unit and  (b) Delivery Unit is conducting work related to the responsibilities of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Liam Byrne: The Strategy Unit are not conducting any work related to the responsibilities of DECC. However, the Strategy Unit are examining questions relating to energy as part of a broader piece of work on the European Neighbourhood Policy.
	PMDU have recently worked with DECC on delivery of home insulation commitments and on assessing progress of PSA 27 for which DECC are the lead Department.

Departmental Work Experience

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid graduate internships his Department has awarded in each of the last six months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: No graduate internships have been awarded in the last six months. However, there have been a number of undergraduate placements arranged through various Government schemes this year.

Equitable Life Assurance Society

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent progress has been made in establishing the ex-gratia payments scheme for Equitable Life policyholders; what steps will be taken in relation to the scheme in the next two months; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 23 June 2009
	Sir John Chadwick has been appointed by the Government to review available information and consider a number of issues in relation to determining relative losses suffered by Equitable Life policyholders, and their impact. Sir John's work will inform the establishment of an ex-gratia payments scheme.
	Last week Sir John issued a document that set out his proposed approach and issues to be addressed in his work, alongside announcing his formal appointment of actuarial support and the launch of his website. The document gives interested parties an opportunity to comment on Sir John's proposed approach and written comments are invited to be sent to Sir John's office by 17 July 2009.
	Sir John expects to make an interim report to Government later this summer, containing a definitive statement of his approach for determining relative losses and a definitive list of the specific issues he will address.
	It is intended that a statement will be made to the House updating it on Sir John's work and the establishment of the payments scheme before it rises on 21 July 2009.

Government Departments: Standards

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Departments have had funding withheld since 1998 as a result of not meeting public service agreement targets; and how much funding was withheld in each case.

Liam Byrne: Since their introduction in the 1998 comprehensive spending review (CSR), public service agreements (PSAs) have played a vital role in galvanising public service delivery and driving major improvements in outcomes. Department's performance in the previous spending review period is always taken into consideration in any new spending review. The Prime Minister's delivery unit was established in 2001, and while delivery of PSAs is ultimately the responsibility of individual Departments PMDU and HM Treasury work closely to support Departments to ensure delivery against these challenging commitments. Currently 70 per cent. of SR02 PSAs are assessed as met, met-ongoing or partly met, while 56 per cent. of SR04 PSAs are assessed as met, ahead or on course.

Kaupthing Bank: Compensation

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to compensate people who have sustained financial losses owing to the failure of Kaupthing Bank.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 9 June 2009
	 On 8 October 2008, the FSA concluded that Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander Ltd. no longer met threshold conditions and was in default for the purposes of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The Treasury, using an order under the Banking (Special Provisions) Act 2008, transferred KSF's deposit book of "Kaupthing Edge" accounts to ING Direct. The Government also committed to paying out in full FSCS eligible depositors whose accounts were not transferred.
	The remainder of KSF's business was subsequently placed into administration following due legal process. The administrators are responsible for managing the remainder of KSF's business and loan book to maximise recovery for creditors. The administrators will continue to deal with the assets in compliance with insolvency law and the provisions of the transfer order (including those provisions of the transfer order which confer certain limited functions on the Treasury in relation to the assets of KSF). Those depositors that are ineligible for FSCS compensation will be creditors of the bank in the normal way and paid out in accordance with UK insolvency procedures.
	Deposits with Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man) (KSF IoM) will be subject to the Isle of Man deposit compensation scheme. This scheme is administered by the Isle of Man authorities.

National Insurance Contributions

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of a reduction of one per cent. in the rate of employers' national insurance contributions in the present tax year.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to Table 5 of the 2008 pre-Budget report: Tax ready reckoner and reliefs, which provides estimates of the effects of illustrative tax changes, and is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr08_taxreadyreckoner_287.pdf
	These figures exclude any estimate of behavioural response.

Public Expenditure

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of total annually managed expenditure in  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12,  (c) 2012-13 and  (d) 2013-14;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the debt interest the Government will pay in  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12,  (c) 2012-13 and  (d) 2013-14.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 23 June 2009
	Projections for debt interest and annually managed expenditure (AME) for 2010-11 are shown in table C9 of the Budget 2009 document. Projections for total public sector current expenditure and public sector net investment to 2013-14 are shown in table C4 of the same document.
	Total AME programmes to 2010-11 have been forecast consistent with the economic assumptions and policy decisions set out in Budget 2009.

Royal Bank of Scotland: Pay

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Chairman and Chief Executive of UK Financial Investments in respect of bonuses planned to be awarded to senior bankers at Royal Bank of Scotland.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI) has been set up to manage the Government's investments in financial institutions on a commercial basis and at arm's length. As part of this work UKFI is monitoring the non-lending conditions, including remuneration, attached to recapitalisation and participation in the Asset Protection Scheme for the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). HM Treasury has regular discussions with UK Financial Investments and regularly monitors UKFI's performance against its objectives.
	UKFI has worked to ensure management incentivisation based on long-term, sustainable performance and no rewards for failure, in order to protect the interest of the taxpayer as a shareholder.
	RBS has announced that there will be no bonuses or pay increases made to staff associated with the major losses suffered in 2008 and that board executive directors will receive no bonus for 2008 performance and no pay increase in 2009. No discretionary cash bonuses will be paid in 2009 for performance in 2008, and only legally binding guaranteed bonuses will be paid.

Social Security Benefits: Families

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families have received  (a) child trust fund payments,  (b) child tax credit,  (c) childcare tax credit and  (d) working tax credit in each parliamentary constituency in Lancashire in the latest period for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: Estimates of the number of child trust fund accounts opened for children born on or before 5 April 2007, in each parliamentary constituency, are available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/cons-stats-oct08.pdf
	Latest estimates of the average number of families benefiting from tax credits, as well as the average number of in-work families benefiting from the child care element in each Government office region, local authority and parliamentary constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes, are available in the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publication "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised annual awards. Geographical analyses 2006-07". This publication is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	HMRC do not produce these statistics separately for child tax credit and working tax credit. Information is not yet available for 2007-08 at parliamentary constituency level. Further information can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tc-delay-07-08.htm
	Latest estimates of the number of families who were claiming child benefit in the areas requested are provided in the HMRC annual publication "Child Benefit geographical statistics. August 2006", available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/geog-aug06.pdf
	Figures for August 2007 are not yet available.

Taxation: Telecommunications

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rate per metre per year British Telecom is required to pay in respect of fibre tax.

Stephen Timms: British Telecom is assessed for business rates in the Central rating lists for England and Wales. Their rateable values are shown in the Central rating lists which are available on the Valuation Office Agency's website at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	It is not possible to disaggregate how much of the rateable value is attributable to fibre.

Taxation: Telecommunications

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has been raised from fibre tax in each year since its inception; and what the cost to the Valuation Office Agency of collecting the revenue in each such year was.

Ian Pearson: Fibre optic telecommunication networks are assessed for business rates, the majority, on local billing authority rating lists with a small number on the Central Lists for England and Wales. We do not hold information on the amount of rates collected by local authorities from fibre optic cable networks. The Valuation Office Agency does not collect business rates.

Taxation: Telecommunications

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether value added tax will be levied on the proposed supplement to be paid on all fixed copper lines referred to in the Digital Britain White Paper.

Stephen Timms: The Government intend to consult on the proposal for a general supplement on all fixed copper lines for a Next Generation Fund by September. The details of the Government's proposals will be set out in that consultation.

VAT: Training

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from  (a) commercial and  (b) not-for-profit training providers on the applicability of value added tax to fees paid in respect of chef training; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.
	The VAT treatment of chef training is governed by the rules relating to the exemption from VAT for education. There are currently two categories of exemption: educational training supplied by an 'eligible body' and private tuition supplied by an individual (acting independently of an employer) in a subject ordinarily taught in a school or a university.
	The list of eligible bodies was drawn up by the previous Government in 1994 to reflect the scope of the exemption laid down in the EU Directive, which is for supplies by public bodies and those with similar aims.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people required to make repayments as a result of overpayments of their tax credits in  (a) Great Britain,  (b) Leeds and ( c) Leeds North West in the last 12 months.

Stephen Timms: Information on the number of families with tax credits awards, including information on overpayments at UK level can be found in the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publications, "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments", for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08 available at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
	Similar Information at country, regional, local authority and constituency level, can be found in the HMRC publications, "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics; Finalised Annual Awards; Supplement on Payments and Geographical Analysis" for the years 2003-04 to 2006-07 at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	Geographical information for 2007-08 is not yet available.
	More details can be found at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tc-delav-07-08.htm

Working Tax Credit

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans next to review the number of hours of work a week which determines eligibility to receive working tax credit payments.

Stephen Timms: Parents and people with a disability are eligible for Working Tax Credit if they work at least 16 hours per week, while other people, who face less of a barrier to work, are eligible if they work 30 hours per week. The working tax credit has helped improve work incentives for people on low incomes to ensure that work pays. The Government believe it is important to protect these achievements, and while it keeps all aspects of tax credits under review, it currently has no plans to change the hours rules.
	However, to protect people affected by the economic downturn, the Government announced in the Budget that from 31 July anyone who ceases to be eligible for Working Tax Credit because of a fall in working hours will continue to receive support for four weeks. This support, worth up to £68 per week for a couple without children and £32 per week for a single person, will help households as they adjust to their new work situation.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer Question 266584, tabled on 25 March 2009, on public service agreement targets.

Liam Byrne: I have replied to the hon. Member.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK military personnel are  (a) embedded with Pakistani military units and  (b) based in Pakistan to co-ordinate military operations in support of UK military operations in Regional Command South.

Bill Rammell: There are currently no UK military personnel embedded with Pakistani military units. As part of normal military relations, UK non-embedded military staff based at the British high commission in Islamabad provide a liaison and co-ordination function between the Pakistani military and UK and NATO operations in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fatalities of civilian contractors supplying British forces in Afghanistan there have been in each year since 2001.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 16 June 2009
	This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the number of casualties sustained by forces from each NATO member state participating in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan in each of the last three years.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence holds statistics on the number of casualties suffered by UK forces in Afghanistan since 2001, which are published on the Ministry of Defence website at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets/OperationsInAfghanistanBritishCasualties.htm
	We do not comment on the casualties suffered by other nations, which are matters for the countries concerned.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times the UK has commanded Regional Command South in Afghanistan since 2003; and how many UK troops were part of that command on each occasion.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK has commanded Regional Command (South) once, between May 2007 and February 2008, since it was established in 2006. In February 2007 the endorsed force level for British troops in Afghanistan was 7,700.

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers were stationed in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) organisation produce these figures quarterly in Tri-Service Publication 10—"UK Regular Forces Stationed Location" report, which is available on the DASA website at the following address:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php?page=67&pubType=0&thiscontent=1800&date=2009-05-29

Defence

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department plans to conduct its next strategic defence review.

Bob Ainsworth: No date has been set for a defence review.

Departmental Food

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the  (a) meat,  (b) fruit and  (c) vegetables procured by his Department in the last 12 months was produced in the UK.

Quentin Davies: A second report on the proportion of domestically produced food procured by Government Departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service was published in November 2008, covering the year from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This report and the first one covering the previous year can be found at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/awareness.htm
	The report gives details of the proportion of individual meat, fruit and vegetable categories purchased.
	Although it is too early to show a trend, the report indicates that the amount of domestically produced food consumed by Government Departments in England is increasing. The proportion of domestically produced food procured by MOD has gone up from 43 per cent. in 2006-07 to 59 per cent. in 2007-08. A third report is expected to be published at the end of 2009.

Employment Tribunals Service

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many actions under employment law have been brought against his Department in each of the last three years; how many such actions were brought under each category of action; and how many such actions were contested by his Department at an employment tribunal.

Bill Rammell: The number of employment related matters involving the Ministry of Defence in the last three financial years are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Scotland 13 14 3 
			 Northern Ireland 7 6 4 
			 England and Wales 99 139 111 
		
	
	The figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland represent the total number of cases brought against the MOD before employment tribunals or other courts in the past three financial years. The case categories for Scotland and Northern Ireland are set out in the following table.
	In contrast the figures for England and Wales represent the number of cases opened by the Treasury Solicitors on behalf of the MOD in England and Wales in the financial years 2006-07 to 2008-09. Not all of the cases opened by the Treasury Solicitors have resulted in proceedings being started in an employment tribunal or other courts. To provide information on the number of cases brought to an employment tribunal in England and Wales could have been provided only at disproportionate cost. For the cases opened by Treasury Solicitors the case categories are provided as follows.
	
		
			  England and Wales 
			  Case category  Number of cases 
			 Age discrimination 21 
			 Disability discrimination 48 
			 Equal pay 21 
			 Race discrimination 20 
			 Religious discrimination 5 
			 Sex/gender discrimination 49 
			 Unfair/constructive dismissal 99 
			 Breach of contract 15 
			 Working time 4 
			 Wages claim/unlawful deduction 12 
			 Holiday/maternity pay claim 2 
			 Redundancy 3 
			 Transfer of undertakings 9 
			 Other 41 
		
	
	In Scotland a total of 30 cases were brought in the financial years 2006-07 to 2008-09. 25 cases were brought to an employment tribunal, four other cases were brought in other courts or other specialist tribunals and one case was transferred to be dealt with in England and Wales. Not all of the cases brought to a tribunal or court went through the full tribunal or court procedure; several were settled or withdrawn. The case categories are set out as follows.
	
		
			  Scotland 
			  Case category  Number of cases 
			 Age discrimination 2 
			 Disability discrimination 3 
			 Equal pay 1 
			 Sex/gender discrimination 2 
			 Breach of contract 4 
			 Unfair/constructive dismissal 6 
			 Wages claim/unlawful deductions 6 
			 Reserve forces appeals tribunal 2 
			 Other 2 
			 Cases involving a combination of categories 2 
		
	
	In Northern Ireland a total of 17 cases were brought to an industrial tribunal or the Fair Employment Tribunal in the financial years 2006-07 to 2008-09. Not all of these cases would have gone through the full tribunal procedure; several were settled or withdrawn, some remain outstanding and one case was transferred to the Treasury Solicitors. The case categories are set out as follows.
	
		
			  Northern Ireland 
			  Case category  Number of cases 
			 Age discrimination 2 
			 Disability discrimination 2 
			 Equal pay (1)4 
			 Race discrimination 3 
			 Religious discrimination 2 
			 Sex/gender discrimination 1 
			 Unfair/constructive dismissal 3 
			 (1) This includes one part time equal pay claim which has been transferred from the Crown Solicitors Office to the Treasury Solicitors and which covers a total of 1,053 claimants.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) operational control,  (b) administrative control,  (c) technical control,  (d) tactical control and  (e) other command relationship between UK and non-UK forces operating in Iraq is at the lowest unit level for which data is available.

Bob Ainsworth: Within Baghdad, the Senior British Military Representative and Deputy Commanding General Multi-National Forces-Iraq is under operational command of the UK's Chief of Joint Operations, working within the US command chain to fulfil the duties implicit in his coalition appointment. The Senior British Military Representative-Iraq has operational control of all UK staff officers embedded in the Multi-National Force-Iraq structure and delegate's tactical command of these individuals as appropriate.
	A number of UK forces in Baghdad are assigned to the NATO Training Mission -Iraq, where fully embedded UK staff officers are under operational command of NATO and a UK infantry platoon providing force protection at the Iraqi Military Academy is under the operational control of the Senior British Military Representative Iraq and tactical command of NATO. All UK staff assigned to the NATO Training Mission are under administrative control of NATO for routine life support.
	Within southern Iraq the UK currently has command of Coalition Task Force Iraqi Maritime which overseas the protection of the Iraqi offshore oil platforms and maintenance of the security of Iraqi Territorial Waters.
	UK forces who remain on the Contingency Operating Base in Basra are under the operational control of the UK's Joint Force Logistics Commander, for the purposes of withdrawal. While no formal command and control relationships exist between these individuals and hosting US Forces, the US are responsible for their security and life support.
	The Prime Minister set out our future plans for Iraq in the House on 15 June 2009,  Official Report, column 22. Permissions for UK operational and training activities in Iraq expired on 31 May and we have paused in our support to the Iraqi military.

Nuclear Weapons

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1344W, on USA: military alliances, on what date and at which location the June 2009 Stocktake meeting between the Government and the US administration under the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement is scheduled to take place; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the programme for the meeting.

Quentin Davies: The 33rd meeting of the UK/US Stocktake was held in the Ministry of Defence, Main Building, Whitehall, London on Tuesday 9 June. The programme comprised discussions on nuclear threat reduction, warhead, and platform issues, together with a consideration of potential future exchanges.
	I am withholding a copy of the programme for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Nuclear Weapons: Public Opinion

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's most recent opinion poll data are on public opinion on the retention of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 June 2009
	Questions on the retention of the UK's nuclear deterrent were included in the public poll on perceptions of the Ministry of Defence and UK armed forces conducted in December 2003.
	The following figures were collated for the public opinion poll on whether the UK should keep its nuclear weapons:
	8 per cent. strongly agreed
	35 per cent. tended to agree
	25 per cent. tended to disagree
	9 per cent. strongly disagreed

Nuclear Weapons: Transport

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the role of the Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines is in the protection of nuclear weapons road convoys.

Bill Rammell: The Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines element of the nuclear weapon convoy security escort provides specific capabilities to counter a no-notice terrorist attack.

TRANSPORT

A303

Robert Key: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when an inspection was last carried out of the condition of the carriageway on the A303 at its junction with the A345 at Countess Roundabout, Wiltshire; what reports he has received on levels of road safety at this junction; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The Highways Agency carries out safety inspections every 28 days on trunk roads and the last one at this location was on 2 June 2009. No safety critical defects were identified in this inspection.
	We are aware of minor defects to the road surface that do not pose an immediate danger to the travelling public, and overnight repairs are planned for the week commencing 22 June 2009 to deal with the most significant of these.
	In a five year period the Countess Roundabout has had a recorded 32 accidents across all arms of the roundabout and the circulatory carriageway. None of the accidents had a poor or defective road surface listed as a contributing factor.
	Annual Safety Statements concerning road safety are compiled by the Highways Agency across the entire trunk road network including Countess Roundabout. The most recent statement for this location was issued in October 2008.

Airports

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which parliamentary constituencies have airports wholly or partly within their boundaries.

Paul Clark: "The Future of Air Transport" White Paper, which set out the strategic framework for the development of airport capacity in the United Kingdom to 2030, identified 30 major airports in the UK. The following table lists, in the right hand column, the major airports and in the left hand column the constituency or constituencies within which each airport is situated:
	
		
			  Constituency  Airport 
			  England  
			 Blackpool, South Blackpool International 
			 Fylde  
			   
			 Brigg and Goole Cleethorpes Humberside International 
			   
			 Christchurch Bournemouth International 
			   
			 Crawley London Gatwick 
			   
			 Don Valley Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield 
			   
			 East Ham London City 
			 Poplar and Canning Town  
			   
			 Eastleigh Southampton 
			 Southampton, Itchen  
			   
			 Hayes and Harlington London Heathrow 
			   
			 Leeds, North-West Leeds Bradford International 
			 Pudsey  
			   
			 Liverpool, Garston Liverpool John Lennon 
			   
			 Luton, South London Luton 
			   
			 Meriden Birmingham International 
			   
			 Mid Norfolk Norwich International 
			 Norwich, North  
			   
			 Newcastle upon Tyne, North Newcastle International 
			   
			 North Cornwall Newquay, Cornwall 
			   
			 North West Leicestershire East Midlands 
			   
			 Plymouth, Devonport Plymouth City 
			   
			 Saffron Walden London Stansted 
			   
			 Sedgefield Durham Tees Valley 
			 Stockton, South  
			   
			 Tatton Manchester 
			 Wythenshawe and Sale, East  
			   
			 Tiverton and Honiton Exeter 
			 Woodspring Bristol International 
			   
			  Northern Ireland  
			 Belfast, East Belfast City 
			 South Antrim Belfast International 
			   
			  Scotland  
			 Central Ayrshire Glasgow Prestwick 
			 Edinburgh, West Edinburgh 
			 Gordon Aberdeen 
			 Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Inverness 
			 Paisley and Renfrewshire, North Glasgow 
			   
			  Wales  
			 Vale of Glamorgan Cardiff International

Aviation: Fees and Charges

David Anderson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent representations his Department has received on  (a) restrictions imposed and  (b) charges levied by airlines on passengers who require supplementary oxygen when travelling by air.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has received some 130 letters about the carriage of oxygen. European Regulation 1107/2006 on the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air does not impose specific obligations on airlines to carry or provide oxygen in the cabin. Where air carriers do supply medical oxygen to passengers on request, it is possible to make a charge for this service. However, many airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, EasyJet and Flybe allow passengers to use their own oxygen and their own Portable Oxygen Concentrator free of charge. It is important that passengers know airlines' charging policies before choosing which carrier to fly with.

Aviation: Noise

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what requirements there are on light aircraft taking off from or landing at airports located close to housing developments to have silencers fitted; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on its policy on the fitting of silencers to light aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: Aerodromes are expected to consider the environmental impact of their operations and apply measures designed to minimise the noise impact on the local population. To assist aerodromes in this task, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published best practice guidance on noise considerations at general aviation aerodromes which is available on their website. This guidance also serves to provide members of the public with an explanation of the constraints and factors that must be considered by aerodrome operators when deciding on the noise mitigation measures that could be adopted.
	In the UK, aircraft are required to comply with the Aircraft Noise standards recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and published in annex 16 to the Chicago Convention (annex 16, volume 1). The certification requirements place a maximum decibel limit on the noise level that an aircraft may produce, and are specific to the aircraft type concerned. The requirements do not specify how those noise limits should be met, e.g. through the use of silencers.
	The Department for Transport has not had any recent discussions with the CAA about the fitting of silencers to light aircraft. The effective management of aircraft noise includes a number of elements, including action to address noise at source. While it is possible to fit silencers to some light aircraft, this can have an effect on engine power and consequently aircraft performance. The CAA must take these factors into account on a case by case basis when considering whether the installation of silencers on different types of light aircraft.

Birmingham Airport: Air Pollution

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what research his Department has commissioned on levels of noise pollution in the area surrounding Birmingham airport in the last three years.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport only produces noise contours for the three London noise designated airports—Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. Elsewhere the monitoring of aircraft noise falls to the local airport operator.
	However in line with the EU Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EU (transposed by the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations (2006)), Birmingham International Airport—in common with other airports with 50,000 movements and above—is required to commence formal consultation on a Noise Action Plan by 1 July. These draft plans, which have been prepared in response to noise mapping contours produced in 2007, are required to be developed in consultation with the local community.

Bus Services: Concessions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many pensioners in  (a) Chorley and  (b) Lancashire received concessionary bus passes in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport is not responsible for issuing passes and so do not maintain records of how many passes individual authorities have issued.
	Chorley and Lancashire are part of the NoWcard scheme. The last information held by the Department is that; as of April 2008 the NoWcard scheme had received 280,200 applications from older and disabled people.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1489W, on departmental conditions of employment, what timetable he has set for the consideration of the standardisation of processes in areas such as travel and subsistence claims and annual performance.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport is considering standardisation of human resource processes and detailed work on initial key areas, such as developing e-recruitment, is under way.
	The specific issues identified by the National Audit Office as needing addressing in the medium-term, including the approach to travel and subsistence claims and annual performance appraisals, are not yet planned in detail. Specific timetables to address these have not yet been scheduled.

Departmental Data Protection

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many breaches of information security there have been at  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in the last five years.

Chris Mole: Data on breaches of information security for the last five years for the Department for Transport and its agencies is not held centrally.
	The Department and its agencies report all significant personal data security breaches to the Cabinet Office and the Information Commissioner's Office. Information on personal data security breaches are published on an annual basis in the department's annual resource accounts as was announced in the Data Handling Review published on 25 June 2008.
	Additionally, all significant control weaknesses including other significant security breaches are included in the Statement of Internal Control which is published within the annual resource accounts.

Departmental Electricity

James Paice: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the percentage of electricity used by his Department which was derived from renewable sources in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport reports its electricity derived from renewable sources figures through the annual Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) report. The figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are as follows:
	
		
			  Renewable e lectricity 
			   Renewable Electricity kWh  Percentage  of total electricity 
			 2006-07 32,203,331 62.5 
			 2007-08 29,713,276 55.3 
		
	
	The figures have fallen due to an increased use of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and the over estimation of consumption in 2006-07, but the Department for Transport's target to use electricity of which more than 10 per cent. has been derived from renewable sources has been exceeded.

Departmental Food

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of the  (a) meat,  (b) fruit and  (c) vegetables procured by his Department in the last 12 months was produced in the UK.

Chris Mole: A second report on the proportion of domestically produced food used by Government Departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service was published in November 2008, covering the year from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This report and the first one covering the previous year can be found at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/awareness.htm
	The report gives details of the proportion of individual meat, fruit and vegetable categories purchased and shows that the proportion of domestically produced food procured by the Department for Transport in 2007-08 was 71 per cent.
	A third report is expected to be published at the end of 2009.

Departmental Plants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department spent on  (a) pot plants and  (b) cut flowers in 2008-09.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport spent £87,401 on pot plants and £3,419 on cut flowers in 2008-09. This excludes spend incurred at the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency as the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Spend on pot plants includes provision, maintenance and replacement of plants.
	All expenditure was incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Disability Discrimination Act

David Anderson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of progress towards compliance with the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act in respect of accessibility by persons with disabilities  (a) to buses by 2017 and  (b) to rail vehicles by 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 require all buses and coaches both old and new to comply with the provisions of Disability Discrimination Act 1995, from 2015 through to 2017 for buses, and from 2020 for coaches. Buses used on local services have been steadily becoming more accessible. In 2008 (the latest statistics available), around 62 per cent. of the bus fleet meet low floor and accessibility requirements.
	Almost 5000 rail vehicles (including 42 per cent. of the national train fleet) are in service, having been built to modern access standards. Furthermore, almost all older rail vehicles have featured increased accessibility as they have undergone refurbishment.

Exhaust Emissions: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department allocated for the development of transportation with  (a) low and  (b) no carbon dioxide emissions in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport allocates integrated transport block funding to local transport authorities for capital investment in transport. Funding provided by the Department to local authorities is not generally ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities, such as the development of low-carbon transportation. The following table shows funding support the Department provided for Essex from 2004-05 to 2008-09.
	
		
			  Integrated Transport Funding 
			   £ million 
			 2008-09 12.932 
			 2007-08 12.518 
			 2006-07 13.327 
			 2005-06 13.800 
			 2004-05 14.250 
		
	
	Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government's Formula Grant.
	The Department has funded sustainable travel projects such as the 'Walking to School Initiative Grant scheme'—in 2008-09 Essex schools received £20,500. It has provided Essex county council with £10,000 for cycle training grants in 2008-09. The Department has also made the following funding available to Essex county council in the last five years for Rural Bus Subsidy and cycling 'Links to School':
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Rural Bus Subsidy  Links to School 
			 2008-09 1.893 0.195 
			 2007-08 1.847 0.076 
			 2006-07 1.804 0.277 
			 2005-06 1.761 0.235 
			 2004-05 1.694 — 
		
	
	Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) has been reformed to link better with Government objectives, particularly on climate change. The previous link between BSOG and fuel duty has now been broken and only those bus operators who achieve a 6 per cent. improvement in their fuel efficiency compared with the previous one or two years will receive an increase of 3 per cent. in their BSOG from April 2010. In addition, operators will receive an additional 6p per kilometre on routes operated by low carbon emission buses from 1 April 2009.
	Detailed policies and proposals for reducing carbon dioxide emissions will be published in the Department's Carbon Reduction Strategy this summer.

Fishing Vessels

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to conclude its analysis of stability criteria for small fishing vessels; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: Further to my answer of 16 June 2009,  Official Report, column 172W, concerning the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) research into the stability criteria for small fishing vessels; the MCA plan to meet with research consultants during July to review their conclusions before the fishing industry Fishing Vessel Stability Working Group meets in August 2009. Following the working group meeting they plan to provide simple and practical guidance about stability of small fishing boats.

Humber Bridge: Tolls

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects to receive the report of the public inquiry on the Humber Bridge toll.

Sadiq Khan: We have now received and are considering the Inspector's report following the public inquiry on the Humber Bridge Board's toll review application. A decision will be made as soon as possible.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much was paid in bonuses to  (a) directors,  (b) senior managers,  (c) specialist and delivery managers and  (d) executive support and administration staff in the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: The information is not available in the format requested; however the amounts paid in bonuses by grade in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Total 
			  Grade  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 AA (Admin) 5,536 5,902 5,829 6,471 6,187 
			 AA (Operational) 40,399 43,070 42,540 47,224 45,150 
			 AO (Admin) 50,352 53,681 53,020 58,859 56,273 
			 AO (Operational) 45,707 48,728 48,129 53,429 51,082 
			 EO (Admin) 43,443 46,315 45,745 50,782 48,551 
			 EO (Operational) 56,355 60,081 59,342 65,876 62,982 
			 HEO (Admin) 40,668 43,356 42,822 47,538 45,450 
			 HEO (Operational) 16,493 17,583 17,367 19,279 18,432 
			 SEO (Admin) 38,023 40,536 40,038 44,446 42,494 
			 SEO (Operational) 66,990 71,419 70,540 78,307 74,868 
			 Grade 7 57,522 61,324 60,570 67,239 64,286 
			 Grade 6 16,279 17,355 17,141 19,029 18,193 
			 SCS Grade 5 3,183 3,394 3,352 3,721 3,558 
			 SCS Grade 3 7,944 8,469 8,365 9,286 8,878 
			 Grand Total 488,895 521,212 514,801 571,486 546,383

Public Transport: Hampshire

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what funding his Department has allocated to improve public transport in  (a) Test Valley borough and  (b) Southampton in 2009-10.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport allocates integrated transport block and highways maintenance funding to local transport authorities for capital investment in transport. Funding provided by the Department to local authorities is not generally ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities, such as the provision of public transport. Figures are not available at constituency level. The following table shows funding support for Hampshire and Southampton in 2009-10.
	
		
			   2009-10  (£ million) 
			 Hampshire 32.019 
			 Southampton 4.408 
		
	
	Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government's Formula Grant.
	In 2008-09 and 2009-10 special grant funding is being provided by the Department for Transport to meet the additional cost of the new, England-wide concessionary bus travel. The allocations made for this purpose to Test Valley and Southampton for 2009-10 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Concessionary fares funding 
			   2009-10  (£ million) 
			 Southampton 1.084 
			 Test Valley 0.231

Public Transport: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what funding his Department has allocated to the development of public transport in Peterborough in 2009-10.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport allocates integrated transport block funding to local transport authorities for capital investment in transport. Funding provided by the Department to local authorities is not generally ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities, such as the provision of public transport. The Department provided £2.289 million to Peterborough in 2009-10.
	Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government's formula grant.
	The Department allocates money for rail projects in England but funding information is not available on the basis of local authority boundaries. The same applies for bus service operators grant, which is given direct to bus operators.
	In 2008-09 and 2009-10 special grant funding is being provided by the Department for Transport to meet the additional cost of the new, England-wide concessionary bus travel—Peterborough's allocation in 2009-10 was £0.733 million. Peterborough has also been allocated £0.181 million in rural bus subsidy grant for 2009-10.

Royal Family: Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2009,  Official Report, column 15W, on Royal Family: travel, what steps his Department takes to assess whether travel arrangements proposed by the Royal Travel Office and Royal Household  (a) achieve value for money and  (b) minimise environmental impact before providing funding for them.

Paul Clark: Decisions on air and rail travel arrangements for members of the royal family are taken by the royal travel office with regard to agreed criteria, including the need to achieve value for money and minimise the environmental impact.
	The royal household seeks to contract in the most economic and efficient way for the supply of air and rail services, consistent with the safety and security of members of the royal family and other key requirements of royal travel. The royal household ensures it takes financial considerations fully into account when framing, reaching, or giving effect to decisions which bear upon the royal travel grant in aid budget.

Southern: Railway Stations

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much  (a) his Department and  (b) Transport for London plans to spend on deep cleaning stations along the South Central franchise route.

Chris Mole: Overall the bidder proposes to spend at least £5.1 million on a deep clean and minor fault rectification package on stations within the Greater London Authority boundary and a further £2.7 million on a similar package outside London. This package of works however will generate additional revenues through enhanced station environments, and as such the net cost to Department for Transport of the package will be significantly below this.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency: Consultants

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency has spent on external consultants in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency has spent the following amount on external consultants in each of the last five years:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2004-05 3.4 
			 2005-06 1.4 
			 2006-07 3.0 
			 2007-08 3.7 
			 2008-09 (1)1.8 
			 (1) Figures for 2008-09 are draft as they are not yet audited and published.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency: Manpower

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many  (a) directors,  (b) senior managers,  (c) specialist and delivery managers and  (d) executive support and administration staff there were in each Vehicle and Operator Services Agency office in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency employed the following number of staff in the categories requested:
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  (a) Directors 8 9 10 10 7 
			  (b) Senior Managers 129 141 140 152 158 
			  (c) Specialist/Del. Managers 311 318 325 341 371 
			  (d) Exec/Admin Support 1,003 946 789 757 752 
		
	
	Figures as at 31 March of each year.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency: Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much was paid in bonuses to  (a) directors,  (b) senior managers,  (c) specialist and delivery managers and  (d) executive support and administration staff in the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has paid the following amount in bonuses:
	
		
			  £ 
			   (a) Directors( 1)  (b) Senior managers  (c) Specialist and delivery managers  (d) Ex and admin support 
			 2004-05 5,000 4,410 4,750 5,565 
			 2005-06 41,700 7,950 5,275 24,445 
			 2006-07 30,900 6,150 4,900 18,345 
			 2007-08 51,700 20,300 19,370 10,715 
			 2008-09(2) 37,100 8,800 5,200 4,000 
			 Grand total 166,400 47,610 39,495 63,070 
			 (1) Directors' bonuses include senior civil servants performance bonuses that are set centrally within the Department for Transport. (2) VOSA's 2008 pay award has not been implemented yet.  Note: Figures are based on special performance bonuses. To establish performance related pay (PRP) figures in the manner requested would result in disproportionate cost being incurred.

JUSTICE

Arson: Greater London

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for arson there were in each London borough in the latest year for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts for offences relating to arson in the Metropolitan and City of London police force areas for 2007 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	It is not possible to break down further the data to individual borough level, thus police force area data for Metropolitan and City of London police force areas have been provided in lieu.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  The number of defendants who were found guilty at all courts for offences relating to arson in the Metropolitan and City of London police force areas, 2007( 1, 2) 
			  Statute  Offence description  Metropolitan police force area  City of London police force area 
			 Criminal Damage Act 1971 Sec.1(2) and (3) Arson endangering life 35 0 
			 Criminal Damage Act 1971 Sec.1(1) and (3) Arson not endangering life 64 0 
			  Total 99 0 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Evidence and Analysis Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Ministry of Justice.

Community Legal Advice: Telephone Services

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much was spent on the Community Legal Advice telephone service in each year since 2004;
	(2)  how many calls have been made to the Community Legal Advice telephone service in each year since 2004.

Jack Straw: The Community Legal Advice telephone service was launched on 14 July 2004. The total cost of expenditure on the Community Legal Advice telephone service in each year since 2004 is shown in the following table. All figures are inclusive of VAT.
	Since 2006 all calls are routed through an initial triage service. The triage service diagnoses problems, assesses eligibility for legal aid and refers people onto alternative sources of help. This service costs approximately £6 per call. Only those eligible for legal aid are then passed through to specialist advisors. These providers won competitive tenders to carry out telephone work and their average hourly rate is approximately £46.
	The service started from scratch in 2004 and has evolved since then (for example, family calls were dealt with for the first time in 2008). It is not possible to make meaningful comparisons between the cost per case in 2004 and that in 2009.
	
		
			   Total cost  (£ million) 
			 2004-05 3.5 
			 2005-06 5.0 
			 2006-07 8.5 
			 2007-08 13.0 
			 2008-09 14.5 
		
	
	The number of calls made to the Community Legal Advice telephone service since its inception is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of calls made 
			 2004-05 204,893 
			 2005-06 273,157 
			 2006-07 387,977 
			 2007-08 411,954 
			 2008-09 566,085

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much  (a) electricity and  (b) gas was used (i) on his Department's estate and (ii) by his Department's agencies in each year from its inception to 2008-09.

Michael Wills: The tables show the quantity of electricity and gas used in the financial year April 2007 to March 2008, although the Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007 and therefore the figures for the core estate provided include the energy consumption of the Department for Constitutional Affairs' core estate between 1 April and 9 May. Similarly, the figures for the National Offender Management Service's (NOMS) custodial property include the period from 1 April to 9 May when NOMS was part of the Home Office's estate.
	The Ministry of Justice is in the process of collating data for 2008-09. This will be made available in the Sustainable Development in Government Report later this year.
	
		
			  MoJ HQ core estate 
			  Energy type  Annual consumption kWh 
			 Electricity 20179413 
			 Natural Gas 7417634 
		
	
	
		
			  Her Majesty's Courts Service 
			  Energy type  Annual consumption kWh 
			 Electricity 143502717 
			 Natural Gas 142798412 
		
	
	
		
			  Tribunals Service 
			  Energy type  Annual consumption kWh 
			 Electricity 7487197 
			 Natural Gas 741894 
		
	
	
		
			  National Offender Management Service (custodial property) 
			  Energy type  Annual consumption kWh 
			 Electricity 316055628 
			 Natural Gas 810129566 
		
	
	
		
			  The National Archives 
			  Energy Type  Annual  c onsumption kWh 
			 Electricity 12477836 
			 Natural Gas 7773972 
		
	
	
		
			  Her Majesty's Land Registry 
			  Energy type  Annual consumption kWh 
			 Electricity 20687222 
			 Natural Gas 21252152

Departmental Land

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much surplus land  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies had in each year since the Department was established;
	(2)  what the latest valuation is of each site of surplus land owned by his Department and its agencies.

Jack Straw: The following table identifies surplus land and corresponding valuations within the Ministry of Justice for each year since its establishment in 2007.
	
		
			   Site  Valuation (£) 
			  Her Majesty's Prison Service   
			 2007-08 Onley Sewage (1)85,000 
			  Frankley Farm (1)100,000 
			  Stocken Farm Land Sale (1)20,000 
			  Tudworth Lindlhome (1)1,020,000 
			  Aldington (1)105,000 
			  Exeter Sale (1)211,000 
			  Miscellaneous Plots (1)8,000 
			  Ley Hill,Gloucestershire (2)1,500,000 
			  Portland, Dorset (2)175,000 
			
			 2008-09 Guys Marsh Sewage (1)5,000 
			  Channings Wood (1)56,000 
			  Shrewsbury (1)6,000 
			  Full Sutton (1)10,000 
			  Huntercombe (1)15,000 
			  Gringley (1)5,300,000 
			  Hindley (1)38,000 
			  Wymot (2)75,000 
			  Miscellaneous Plots (1)10,000 
			  Ley Hill, Gloucestershire (2)1,500,000 
			  Portland, Dorset (2)175,000 
			
			  Her Majesty's Courts Service   
			 2007-09 Ebbw Vale, Gwent (2)255,000 
			  New Mills, Derbyshire (2)145,000 
			 (1) Sold for this amount. (2) Valued at this amount.  Note: Both HMCS sites have been surplus since HMCS's inception in 2005.

Driving Under Influence

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of drivers received a ban from driving for drink-driving in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of drivers have had at least one ban from driving due to drink-driving;
	(3)  what the average length of a driving ban for drink-driving was in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007.

Claire Ward: The total number of driving licence holders in England, Wales, and Scotland, 1997 to 2007 can be viewed in table 1. From data held by the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) it is not possible to separately identify of those holding Driving Licences those that were from either England, Wales, or Scotland
	The total disqualifications imposed at all courts for 'Driving etc., after consuming alcohol or taking drugs', in England and Wales, 1997 to 2007 can be viewed in table 2.
	The total number of driving disqualifications imposed and the period of disqualification imposed at all Courts in England and Wales, 1997 to 2007 (latest available) in England and Wales can be viewed in table 3.
	From the information available to the Ministry of Justice it is not possible to identify those drivers who have received more than one driving disqualification during the period 1997 to 2007.
	The average length of disqualification is not available as the court proceedings database held by the Ministry of Justice does not contain the exact length of disqualification for the requested offences.
	Information on court proceedings in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive.
	2008 Ministry of Justice data will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1: Total number of driving licence holders in England, Wales, and Scotland, 1997 to 2007( 1,2) 
			   Driving licence holders( 1) 
			 1997 37,285,116 
			 1998 37,644,178 
			 1999 38,071,154 
			 2000 38,437,308 
			 2001 38,508,972 
			 2002 39,214,224 
			 2003 39,791,629 
			 2004 40,389,130 
			 2005 41,077,900 
			 2006 41,681,116 
			 2007 42,345,445 
			 (1) Data provided by the DVLA. (2) From data held by the DVLA, it is not possible to separately identify of those holding driving licences those that were from either England, Wales, or Scotland.  Source: DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Total disqualifications imposed at all courts for 'Driving etc., after consuming alcohol or taking drugs', in England and Wales, 1997 to 2007( 1) 
			   Total disqualifications imposed 
			 1997 92,962 
			 1998 86,191 
			 1999 83,117 
			 2000 80,285 
			 2001 79,274 
			 2002 84,887 
			 2003 87,013 
			 2004 90,308 
			 2005 86,867 
			 2006 87,190 
			 2007 84,007 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: OCJR E and A (Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Evidence and Analysis Unit), Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Total disqualifications imposed and period of disqualification imposed at all courts for  ' Driving etc., after consuming alcohol or taking drugs', England and Wales, 1997 to 2007( 1,2) 
			Period of disqualification 
			   Total disqualifications imposed  Until driving test passed  Under 6 months  6 months  Over 6 months and under 1 year  1 year  Over 1 year and under 2 years  2 years and under 3 years  3 years  Over 3 years and under 4 years  4 years and under 5 years  5 years and under 10 years  10 years and over. Less th a n life  Life 
			 1997 92,962 85 234 345 132 35,136 21,073 11,461 20,389 221 1,512 2,168 191 15 
			 1998 86,191 160 291 291 120 30,709 19,001 13,494 18,372 235 1,275 2,024 188 31 
			 1999 83,117 178 244 304 101 29,402 18,694 13,159 17,597 189 1,243 1,840 146 20 
			 2000 80,285 135 246 279 79 27,272 18,708 14,002 16,578 146 1,247 1,481 103 9 
			 2001 79,274 90 285 284 77 25,068 17,842 16,015 16,351 219 1,405 1,533 98 7 
			 2002 84,887 88 330 304 75 26,185 19,500 17,129 17,644 206 1,656 1,623 137 10 
			 2003 87,013 85 288 264 123 26,611 19,623 18,145 18,220 199 1,578 1,741 125 11 
			 2004 90,308 123 327 304 134 27,133 26,391 13,371 18,793 230 1,716 1,670 103 13 
			 2005 86,867 127 380 336 113 26,027 27,323 12,240 16,947 283 1,548 1,461 72 10 
			 2006 87,190 130 408 301 91 25,311 28,261 13,009 16,497 242 1,433 1,417 85 5 
			 2007 84,007 114 408 284 103 23,695 27,397 12,877 16,014 321 1,435 1,294 56 9 
			 (1) Included in "Total disqualifications imposed". (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their Inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: OCJR E and A (Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Evidence and Analysis Unit), Ministry of Justice

Electorate

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many voters were eligible to vote in the  (a) 2009 elections to the European Parliament and  (b) 2005 General Election.

Michael Wills: Figures in relation to the number of people eligible to vote in the  (a) 2009 elections to the European Parliament and  (b) 2005 general election are not available. This is because the Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not hold data for the population eligible to vote in parliamentary elections, which includes British citizens resident overseas and excludes foreign citizens (from outside the British Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland) resident within England and Wales. Indeed, there is no central database that holds this information.
	The ONS state that the closest available approximation to the number of people registered to vote in the 2009 European election is 45,226,650. This figure refers to the number of people who were registered in the UK to vote in the European election on 1 December 2008 and is based on a qualifying date of 15 October 2008. That was the most recent date for which data on the electorate are collated. The cut off date for registration, as enacted by the Electoral Administration Act 2006 is 11 days before the poll, so the actual number of people registered to vote in the 2009 European election may be different from this figure.
	ONS figures show that the number of people who were registered to vote in the UK parliamentary elections for Westminster on 1 December 2004 was 44,180,464. This figure is based on a qualifying date of 15 October 2004 and is the closest available approximation to the number of people who were registered to vote in the 2005 general election when registration closed some six to eight weeks before the poll.

National Offender Management Information System

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its agencies have spent on C-NOMIS.

Maria Eagle: The cost of the C-NOMIS project from inception to December 2007 was £160.7 million (which excludes depreciation and cost of capital). On 8 January 2008, the C-NOMIS project was revised and became part of the new NOMIS Programme, which is delivering five projects. Expenditure on the NOMIS Programme to 31 March 2009 was £75 million. This sum includes costs incurred in financial year 2008-09 which are still subject to audit.

Prison Service: Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid in bonuses to  (a) directors,  (b) senior managers,  (c) specialist and delivery managers and  (d) executive support and administration staff in HM Prison Service in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: Information on the amount paid in Special Bonuses and non-consolidated performance payments to the staff specified is provided in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Recorded Special Bonuses 2004-05 to 2008-09 
			   Special Bonuses Recorded 
			  Grade  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Directors (Senior Civil Service) 16,750 5,000 — 321,998 279,900 
			 Senior Managers (A-D) 137,868 158,546 110,962 296,449 483,141 
			 Specialist / Delivery Managers (Managers E-G) 214,282 282,713 234,667 482,388 875,545 
			 Executive / Admin (AA, AO, EO) 98,340 108,899 86,197 110,937 203,956 
			 Total 467,555,158 555,158 431,826 1,121,772 1,842,542 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Non-Consolidated Performance Payments 2005-06 to 2008-09 
			   Non-consolidated performance payments 
			  Grade  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Directors (Senior Civil Service) Data not available 202,483 160,648 231,000 273,162 
			 Senior and Delivery managers(1) As above 633,145 404,699 450,605 625,565 
			 Executive Support/Admin As above 357,813 450,656 487,540 630,265 
			 Total  1,193,444 1,016,003 1,169,145 1,428,992 
			 (1) It is not possible to separate payments to Senior Managers and Specialist and Delivery Managers without incurring disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	The two tables above are derived from different sources and the data for table 2 cannot be disaggregated. Special Bonuses are reported on Oracle HR and the Non-Consolidated Performance Payments information comes from payroll.
	
		
			  Table 3: Combined special bonus and non-consolidated performance payments 
			   Non-consolidated performance payments and special bonuses 
			  Grade  2004-05( 2)  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Directors (Senior Civil Service) 16,750,000 207,483 160,648 462,998 553,062 
			 Senior and Delivery managers(1) 352,150,00 1,074,404 750,328 1,229,442 1,984,251 
			 Executive Support/Admin 98,340,00 466,715 536,853 598,477 734,221 
			 Total 467,240 1,748,602 1,447,829 2,290,917 3,271,534 
			 1 Information on non-consolidated performance payments not available for 2004-05

Prisoners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners aged over 70 are being held in each prison in England and Wales.

Maria Eagle: The number of prisoners aged 70 and over in each prison establishment in England and Wales as at the end of April 2009 can be found in the following table:
	
		
			   70+ population 
			 Acklington 16 
			 Albany 25 
			 Altcourse 5 
			 Ashfield 0 
			 Ashwell 1 
			 Askham Grange 0 
			 Aylesbury 0 
			 Bedford 2 
			 Belmarsh 3 
			 Birmingham 5 
			 Blantyre House 2 
			 Blundeston 1 
			 Brinsford 0 
			 Bristol 3 
			 Brixton 2 
			 Bronzefield 0 
			 Buckley Hall 0 
			 Bullingdon 6 
			 Bullwood Hall 0 
			 Camp Hill 1 
			 Canterbury 1 
			 Cardiff 2 
			 Castington 0 
			 Channings Wood 7 
			 Chelmsford 3 
			 Coldingley 0 
			 Cookham Wood 0 
			 Dartmoor 17 
			 Deerbolt 0 
			 Doncaster 5 
			 Dorchester 1 
			 Dovegate 6 
			 Dover 0 
			 Downview 1 
			 Drake Hall 1 
			 Durham 3 
			 East Sutton Park 0 
			 Eastwood Park 0 
			 Edmunds Hill 1 
			 Elmley 5 
			 Erlestoke 3 
			 Everthorpe 1 
			 Exeter 6 
			 Featherstone 1 
			 Feltham 0 
			 Ford 4 
			 Forest Bank 3 
			 Foston Hall 0 
			 Frankland 8 
			 Full Sutton 13 
			 Garth 4 
			 Gartree 3 
			 Glen Parva 0 
			 Gloucester 3 
			 Grendon/Spring Hill 2 
			 Guys Marsh 2 
			 Haslar 0 
			 Haverigg 1 
			 Hewell 3 
			 High Down 4 
			 Highpoint 2 
			 Hindley 0 
			 Hollesley Bay 1 
			 Holloway 1 
			 Holme House 2 
			 Hull 20 
			 Huntercombe 0 
			 Kennet 0 
			 Kingston (Portsmouth) 4 
			 Kirkham 0 
			 Kirklevington Grange 0 
			 Lancaster Castle 1 
			 Lancaster Farms 0 
			 Latchmere House 2 
			 Leeds 7 
			 Leicester 1 
			 Lewes 3 
			 Leyhill 13 
			 Lincoln 5 
			 Lindholme 1 
			 Littlehey 32 
			 Liverpool 4 
			 Long Lartin 1 
			 Low Newton 0 
			 Lowdham Grange 0 
			 Maidstone 14 
			 Manchester 16 
			 Moorland Closed 0 
			 Moorland Open 0 
			 Morton Hall 1 
			 New Hall 0 
			 North Sea Camp 1 
			 Northallerton 0 
			 Norwich 17 
			 Nottingham 3 
			 Onley 0 
			 Pare 6 
			 Parkhurst 8 
			 Pentonville 0 
			 Peterborough 7 
			 Portland 0 
			 Preston 2 
			 Ranby 0 
			 Reading 0 
			 Risley 7 
			 Rochester 0 
			 Rye Hill 2 
			 Send 1 
			 Shepton Mallet 4 
			 Shrewsbury 2 
			 Stafford 5 
			 Standford Hill 2 
			 Stocken 0 
			 Stoke Heath 0 
			 Styal 0 
			 Sudbury 1 
			 Swaleside 3 
			 Swansea 1 
			 Swinfen Hall 0 
			 The Mount 1 
			 The Verne 0 
			 The Wolds 0 
			 Thom Cross 0 
			 Usk/Prescoed 11 
			 Wakefield 19 
			 Wandsworth 20 
			 Warren Hill 0 
			 Warrington 0 
			 Wayland 3 
			 Wealstun 0 
			 Wellingborough 2 
			 Wetherby 0 
			 Whatton 44 
			 Whitemoor 1 
			 Winchester 5 
			 Woodhill 2 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 7 
			 Wymott 21 
			 Total 525

Prisoners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners convicted of each category of offence are aged over 70.

Maria Eagle: The following table gives the number of sentenced prisoners aged 70 and over in prison establishments in England and Wales by offence group, as at 30 April 2009:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Violence against the person 84 
			 Sexual offences 346 
			 Robbery 4 
			 Theft and handling 3 
			 Fraud and forgery 7 
			 Drug offences 22 
			 Motoring offences 1 
			 Other offences 23 
			   
			 All offences 489 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people aged 70 years and over were sentenced to immediate custody on conviction for each category of offence in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Claire Ward: The requested information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number sentenced to immediate custody by offence type, for those aged 70 and over 1997-2007 
			  Offence type  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2006  2008  2007 
			 Violence against the person 8 5 10 11 8 11 10 7 7 7 10 
			 Sexual Offences 49 64 43 62 72 67 60 82 85 88 81 
			 Burglary 2 1 3 2 1 0 3 0 0 2 1 
			 Robbery 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 9 8 11 8 15 4 10 7 10 6 4 
			 Fraud and forgery 2 4 5 5 5 6 6 4 4 4 7 
			 Criminal Damage 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 3 
			 Drug Offences 5 5 2 8 3 4 3 6 3 9 7 
			 Other (excluding motoring offences) 3 5 4 7 2 5 6 12 12 8 6 
			 Indictable Motoring 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Summary non-motoring 12 12 4 5 6 6 12 14 9 14 13 
			 Summary motoring 3 14 7 18 5 7 11 8 10 11 12 
			 Total 94 119 89 126 118 112 122 141 141 161 147 
			  Notes: 1. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. 2. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	The data shows the number of offenders aged 70 and over sentenced to immediate custody for each offence type, in the last 10 years. This data is presented on the principal offence basis, where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed. Where the same sentence has been imposed for two or more offences the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2009,  Official Report, column 346, on prisoners release: re-offenders, when he expects to have re-offending data in respect of offenders who are subject to a home detention curfew.

Jack Straw: I apologise to the hon. Member that the audit process has taken longer than anticipated. The data will be available before summer recess, when I will write to the hon. Member, placing a copy of the reply in the Library.

Prisoners: Offender Assessment System

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners aged over 70 have been assessed under OASys as  (a) high risk and  (b) very high risk;
	(2)  how many prisoners aged over 70 held in closed prisons have been assessed as suitable for open prison conditions.

Maria Eagle: During the period 1 April 2008 until 31 March 2009, 42 prisoners aged over 70 were assessed as presenting a high or very high risk of serious harm. The assessment of risk of serious harm was made through the Offender Assessment System (OASys). The OASys data are drawn from administrative IT systems and are subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale assessment and recording system.
	The information regarding suitability for open prisons could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as it would involve contacting every prison which would then have to consult the records of individual prisoners. There has been no relaxation of security categorisation standards and public protection remains paramount when undertaking the categorisation process.

Prisons: West Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Answer of 1 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 82-3W, on prisons: construction, by what process  (a) the National Offender Management Service and  (b) his Department were made aware of the potential site for a Titan prison at Scarisbrick; which location in Scarisbrick was identified as a potential site; what information his Department holds on the present owner of the site; on what date his Department designated the site at Scarisbrick as a potential location for a Titan prison; and by whom that decision was taken.

Jack Straw: In early 2008, the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) commissioned site search agents to identify potential sites for "Titan" prisons in various parts of the country, including the North West.
	Among the sites identified in the North-West was a 200 acre golf course at Southport Road, Scarisbrick, L40 8HB. This site was identified on 13 May 2008 by our site search agents but was considered unsuitable by them, an assessment that was subsequently endorsed by NOMS on 16 May 2008. The reason for this was that a golf course in a rural location did not meet the specific requirement for a site close to an urban conurbation with good transport links.
	We do not hold information on the current owners of the site as it was rejected at a very early stage of the assessment process.

Probation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases the Probation Service handled in each region in each of the last three years; and how many staff were employed by the Probation Service in each region in each such year.

Jack Straw: The total caseload of offenders supervised by the Probation Service in each region of England and Wales as at 31 December in each of the last three years was as follows:
	
		
			   2006  2007  2008 
			 North East 12,906 13,872 14,122 
			 North West 39,361 39,657 37,907 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 24,208 24,698 25,262 
			 East Midlands 17,422 17,787 17,829 
			 West Midlands 28,361 29,255 27,844 
			 Eastern 18,833 19,967 20,194 
			 London 41,338 41,998 43,811 
			 South East 28,041 27,145 27,291 
			 South West 13,919 14,536 14,839 
			 Wales 13,169 13,807 14,335 
		
	
	The 2008 figures are provisional and were published on 30 April 2009 in the Ministry of Justice statistics bulletin Probation statistics quarterly brief October to December 2008, England and Wales.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	The total number of full time equivalent staff employed by the Probation Service as at 31 March from 2005 to 2007 (latest figures available) are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Probation—staff in post figures by region, England and Wales 2005-07 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 North West 3,213.91 3,347.94 3,248.13 
			 North East 1,295.39 1,274.82 1,298.12 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 2,364.80 2,383.72 2,386.52 
			 East Midlands 1,765.08 1,886.72 1,896.72 
			 Wales 1,184.35 1,300.77 1,336.53 
			 West Midlands 2,253.68 2,397.66 2,409.70 
			 East of England 1,549.66 1,675.65 1,690.03 
			 South West 1,507.73 1,626.15 1,628.38 
			 South East 2,243.49 2,408.70 2,440.76 
			 London 2,377.27 2,759.33 2,868.77 
			 Total 19,755.36 21,061.45 21,203.66 
			 Notes: 1. Figures provided are full time equivalent (FTE) and are as at 31 March for each year. 2. Information for 2008 is currently unavailable.

Probation

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the implications for the West Mercia Probation Trust of the proposed merger of the Staffordshire and West Midlands trusts; whether it is his policy to organise the Probation Service on a regional basis; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I am aware of the proposed merger of the Staffordshire and West Midlands probation areas. A first application is anticipated in July for Trust status, subject to further endorsement by the two separate boards.
	I have made it clear that any proposals on future trust configurations should come from local areas and not be prescribed either regionally or nationally. Already within the West Midlands region, and on a national basis, areas with smaller budgets than West Mercia have applied for and achieved Trust status.
	The West Mercia Probation Trust is a first wave trust but it is required to be reassessed in accordance with the new national requirements. It has made one unsuccessful application under the new arrangements and is intending to resubmit in November 2009. Once all areas in the West Midlands region have achieved trust status, whether in their present or merger form, they will be expected to work collaboratively as required to achieve best value in the delivery of their statutory duties.
	The Director of Offender Management's office in the West Midlands is currently supporting the efforts of West Mercia Probation Trust to assist them in achieving re-alignment with second wave Trust status.

Probation: Databases

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many records are held on the  (a) Delius,  (b) CRAMS and  (c) other Probation Service IT case management systems.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice's Offender Management and Sentencing Analytical Service has indicated that, on average, the breakdown between types of case management systems is 112,000 (40 per cent.) of offender records held in Delius, 98,000 (35 per cent.) held in CRAMS and 70,000 (25 per cent.) held in other systems (ICMS, In Case and IIMS).

Probation: North Yorkshire

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people from North Yorkshire were  (a) convicted of an offence and  (b) referred to the Probation Service for (i) reports and (ii) supervision in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The number of persons found guilty at all courts for all
	offences in the North Yorkshire Police Force Area, for the years 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is given in table 1.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1: The number of persons found guilty at all courts for all offences in North Yorkshire P olice Force Area, 2003- 07( 1,2) 
			   Found guilty 
			 2003 13,652 
			 2004 14,933 
			 2005 14,572 
			 2006 12,764 
			 2007 14,974 
			 1 The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty Is the most severe. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it Is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken Into account when those data are used. Source:  Evidence and Analysis Unit - Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Total number of offenders starting supervision in North Yorkshire as at 31 March in each of the last five years 
			   Number 
			 2004 2,099 
			 2005 2,296 
			 2006 2,311 
			 2007 2,211 
			 2008 2,274 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3 :  Total number of court reports written in the North Yorkshire probation area between the years 2006 and 2008 
			   Number 
			 2006 4,355 
			 2007 4,124 
			 2008 4,053 
		
	
	Before 2006, the number of court reports written in North Yorkshire is not centrally available.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Probation: South Yorkshire

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what funding his Department has allocated to South Yorkshire Probation Service in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The resource budget allocations for the South Yorkshire probation area since 2001 are given in the table.
	As a result of changes to the budget allocation methodology, plus Machinery of Government changes and accounting methodology changes, it is difficult to compare figures over a long period.
	
		
			  South Yorkshire probation area budgets 2001-02 to 2008-09 
			  Area :  South Yorkshire 
			   Revenue (£000) 
			 2008-09 25,511 
			 2007-08 24,282 
			 2006-07 24,058 
			 2005-06 23,041 
			 2004-05 20,858 
			 2003-04 20,381 
			 2002-03 18,191 
			 2001-02 16,153

Probation: South Yorkshire

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the rate of  (a) absence and  (b) absence resulting from ill-health was among South Yorkshire Probation Service staff in 2008-09; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such absences; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The combined rate of all types of absence is not collected however the rate of absence resulting from ill-health (i.e. sickness absence) for South Yorkshire Probation Service staff in 2008-09 was 14.3 days per person. The total cost of sickness absence for South Yorkshire Probation Service, including on costs, for 2008-09 was £1,026,760. In order to address this South Yorkshire Probation Service have launched a sickness absence action plan which has made a significant impact on the incidence of sickness absence. Current levels of sickness absence are 8.2 days per employee.

Pupils: Absenteeism

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many parents in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point have appeared in court on charges related to the unauthorised absence from school of their child in the last (i) six, (ii) 12 and (iii) 24 months.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply
	The Department has policy responsibility for school attendance. However, the Ministry of Justice collects and publishes data for England and Wales on prosecutions brought against parents under the Education Act 1996 for the offence under s444(1) of failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school; and for prosecutions under s444(1A), the aggravated offence of knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly. It is possible, because of the way courts record data, that some section 444 data is also collected under the more general heading of various offences under the Education Act 1996.
	The Ministry of Justice collects prosecution data on the basis of police force areas only and not constituency area. Information on the number of parents prosecuted in Essex for failing to secure their children's regular school attendance between 2006 to 2007 (latest available data) is detailed in the table below. Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' courts for offences under the Education Act 1996 S.444( 1) , in Essex police force area, 2006 to 2007( 2,3) 
			   Number 
			 2006 86 
			 2007 74 
			 (1) Includes the following:  (a) Failure to secure regular attendance at school. (Education Act 1996 S.444 (1)(8)).  (b) Parent knows that their child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school. (Education Act 1996 S.444(8)(1a)(8a) added by Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 S.72). (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Evidence and Analysis Unit - Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Ministry of Justice

Remand in Custody: Children

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children have been remanded in custody in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The decision whether to grant bail or to remand a young person to the care of a local authority or to custody is a matter for the courts, which apply the statutory framework principally set out in the Bail Act 1976. The data in the tables have been supplied by the Youth Justice Board from administrative computer systems. Table A shows the number of remands to (prison) custody in each of the last five years and table B shows the number of remands to local authority care with a security requirement in each of the last five years. Statistics are available only by Youth Offending Team (YOT) area. Where the YOT covers more than one local authority area (as in Wessex, for example) it is not possible to indicate the young person's home local authority.
	
		
			  Table A: Remand in custody episodes 
			  Youth offending team  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Barking and Dagenham 41 30 46 23 31 
			 Barnet 30 19 34 37 27 
			 Barnsley 28 23 16 16 11 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 12 9 11 12 11 
			 Bedfordshire 36 32 17 23 32 
			 Bexley 11 8 10 15 10 
			 Birmingham 249 215 244 176 144 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 24 17 14 16 13 
			 Blackpool 21 20 21 26 30 
			 Blaenau, Gwent and Caerphilly 17 8 31 9 9 
			 Bolton 32 45 36 34 37 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 24 28 16 13 8 
			 Bracknell Forest 3 7 9 10 12 
			 Bradford 63 58 52 68 76 
			 Brent 30 33 42 44 58 
			 Bridgend 15 15 11 13 12 
			 Brighton and Hove 16 15 18 26 13 
			 Bristol 53 35 55 61 76 
			 Bromley 10 13 21 26 12 
			 Buckinghamshire 15 7 12 5 10 
			 Bury 13 8 15 15 9 
			 Calderdale 26 19 7 24 24 
			 Cambridgeshire 24 28 24 14 20 
			 Camden 12 21 27 20 21 
			 Cardiff 71 78 56 65 45 
			 Carmarthenshire 10 14 23 13 18 
			 Ceredigion(1) n/a n/a 4 7 1 
			 Cheshire 44 32 41 47 51 
			 Conwy and Denbighshire 16 11 23 18 21 
			 Cornwall 8 17 20 29 17 
			 Coventry 65 64 48 38 32 
			 Croydon 48 47 51 57 51 
			 Cumbria 36 21 40 42 41 
			 Darlington 13 8 9 8 4 
			 Derby 38 47 29 33 39 
			 Derbyshire 30 41 29 17 23 
			 Devon 18 21 26 15 16 
			 Doncaster 26 36 38 38 24 
			 Dorset 6 15 4 10 5 
			 Dudley 47 23 21 21 14 
			 Durham 29 34 18 19 23 
			 Ealing 17 21 50 68 58 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 2 5 12 9 9 
			 East Sussex 18 25 18 28 22 
			 Enfield 20 41 53 55 37 
			 Essex 53 57 57 60 36 
			 Flintshire 20 9 15 7 3 
			 Gateshead 17 12 15 18 12 
			 Gloucestershire 34 44 45 31 31 
			 Greenwich 33 31 33 30 48 
			 Gwynedd Mon 18 18 10 9 12 
			 Hackney 51 57 57 75 69 
			 Halton and Warrington 23 31 22 23 17 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 15 36 31 35 20 
			 Haringey 57 50 55 58 50 
			 Harrow 4 9 24 17 12 
			 Hartlepool 4 6 11 8 16 
			 Havering 1 7 20 20 24 
			 Hertfordshire 63 47 56 36 41 
			 Hillingdon 27 26 20 34 23 
			 Hounslow 40 23 30 20 34 
			 Islington 31 38 40 50 49 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 22 10 10 21 19 
			 Kent 72 71 85 51 80 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 61 65 68 83 49 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 1 6 12 8 11 
			 Kirklees 42 42 34 25 25 
			 Knowsley 29 17 16 20 18 
			 Lambeth 42 56 79 77 83 
			 Lancashire 74 97 91 89 68 
			 Leeds 177 119 120 89 87 
			 Leicester City 64 64 47 40 34 
			 Leicestershire 48 28 31 22 24 
			 Lewisham 46 45 55 36 45 
			 Lincolnshire 32 17 26 26 14 
			 Liverpool 96 89 71 65 64 
			 Luton 35 27 22 15 15 
			 Manchester 186 182 186 140 130 
			 Medway 15 13 12 24 29 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 7 10 17 14 8 
			 Merton 12 16 18 15 16 
			 Milton Keynes 9 23 21 20 17 
			 Miscellaneous(2) 15 5 4 5 1 
			 Monmouthshire and Torfaen 4 8 3 8 1 
			 Neath Port Talbot 8 18 19 13 6 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 37 40 30 35 30 
			 Newham 86 62 58 76 74 
			 Newport 30 44 23 14 12 
			 Norfolk 31 26 17 23 19 
			 North East Lincolnshire 31 33 25 16 24 
			 North Lincolnshire 22 12 27 20 18 
			 North Somerset 10 4 2 3 9 
			 North Tyneside 37 18 18 30 18 
			 North Yorkshire 13 18 16 21 19 
			 Northamptonshire 59 47 34 64 37 
			 Northumberland 28 22 24 34 22 
			 Nottingham 97 63 101 72 82 
			 Nottinghamshire 33 29 31 31 22 
			 Oldham 31 24 46 37 32 
			 Oxfordshire 30 37 33 36 34 
			 Pembrokeshire 1 2 6 2 11 
			 Peterborough 31 25 20 28 26 
			 Plymouth 23 16 19 34 17 
			 Powys(1) 1 2 4 2 1 
			 Reading(3) 23 24 22 14 20 
			 Redbridge 28 24 40 41 27 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 25 22 15 7 22 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 5 5 3 4 2 
			 Rochdale 38 38 25 19 34 
			 Rotherham 25 31 22 19 20 
			 Salford 49 65 48 47 35 
			 Sandwell 73 70 49 40 24 
			 Sefton 9 18 30 15 29 
			 Sheffield 59 45 50 61 76 
			 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 15 14 14 14 21 
			 Slough 9 10 15 19 15 
			 Solihull 14 19 12 11 15 
			 Somerset 19 22 16 15 17 
			 South Gloucestershire 3 9 8 5 5 
			 South Tees 38 38 43 29 35 
			 South Tyneside 38 19 11 14 14 
			 Southend-on-Sea 12 10 14 15 9 
			 Southwark 48 61 65 61 68 
			 St. Helens 17 11 7 4 6 
			 Staffordshire 34 38 27 14 20 
			 Stockport 23 22 29 15 16 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 10 9 14 8 8 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 36 38 34 28 23 
			 Suffolk 31 37 18 19 30 
			 Sunderland 35 36 26 36 14 
			 Surrey 27 31 37 32 19 
			 Sutton 11 18 11 8 13 
			 Swansea 34 29 27 15 17 
			 Swindon 14 17 8 10 9 
			 Tameside 30 29 45 27 25 
			 Thurrock 23 6 22 19 25 
			 Torbay 4 3 3 9 5 
			 Tower Hamlets and City of London 18 36 46 45 44 
			 Trafford 36 39 31 31 23 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 9 14 5 6 8 
			 Wakefield 29 36 19 27 21 
			 Walsall 23 30 29 27 21 
			 Waltham Forest 30 32 38 38 32 
			 Wandsworth 19 26 33 62 41 
			 Warwickshire 18 24 31 28 10 
			 Wessex 135 104 120 128 151 
			 West Berkshire 1 5 7 4 5 
			 West Sussex 50 55 43 52 53 
			 Westminster 24 23 17 23 21 
			 Wigan 29 23 28 18 19 
			 Wiltshire 17 18 12 6 8 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 10 7 1 2 3 
			 Wirral 44 26 17 33 17 
			 Wokingham(3) n/a n/a 0 4 6 
			 Wolverhampton 33 36 30 24 16 
			 Worcestershire and Herefordshire 70 55 34 23 30 
			 Wrexham 0 0 2 17 18 
			 York 25 26 24 22 32 
			 Total 5,065 4,850 4,901 4,692 4,402 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Court ordered secure remand episodes 
			  Youth offending team  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Barking and Dagenham 6 3 2 4 2 
			 Barnet 3 3 7 2 2 
			 Barnsley 1 0 2 1 1 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0 0 1 2 1 
			 Bedfordshire 1 2 0 1 0 
			 Bexley 2 6 1 0 1 
			 Birmingham 34 29 28 26 16 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 4 0 2 2 2 
			 Blackpool 2 3 0 5 4 
			 Blaenau, Gwent and Caerphilly 1 2 1 5 1 
			 Bolton 3 9 5 8 3 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 3 4 1 1 0 
			 Bracknell Forest 0 0 2 0 0 
			 Bradford 6 9 4 12 4 
			 Brent 7 1 5 5 12 
			 Bridgend 1 1 0 0 2 
			 Brighton and Hove 3 3 2 5 6 
			 Bristol 5 7 10 12 8 
			 Bromley 3 5 5 0 6 
			 Buckinghamshire 2 0 0 0 1 
			 Bury 0 0 4 0 2 
			 Calderdale 3 3 5 0 1 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 2 1 1 
			 Camden 3 2 1 7 2 
			 Cardiff 7 3 5 10 1 
			 Carmarthenshire 3 1 0 1 0 
			 Ceredigion(1) n/a n/a 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire 8 9 5 4 2 
			 Conwy and Denbighshire 1 5 3 2 0 
			 Cornwall 1 3 0 0 1 
			 Coventry 7 7 5 1 3 
			 Croydon 2 4 8 6 3 
			 Cumbria 6 4 2 5 4 
			 Darlington 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Derby 12 9 7 2 8 
			 Derbyshire 2 6 4 3 1 
			 Devon 2 3 4 0 4 
			 Doncaster 3 5 6 2 0 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dudley 5 3 3 1 0 
			 Durham 3 4 2 2 4 
			 Ealing 2 2 5 10 4 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 0 2 2 0 
			 East Sussex 4 4 12 5 0 
			 Enfield 3 4 6 1 3 
			 Essex 4 3 10 7 3 
			 Flintshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gateshead 3 3 5 5 6 
			 Gloucestershire 8 10 7 0 2 
			 Greenwich 7 6 1 5 7 
			 Gwynedd Mon 0 1 0 1 0 
			 Hackney 6 6 3 6 9 
			 Halton and Warrington 2 1 4 2 4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4 1 3 13 5 
			 Haringey 5 1 6 5 6 
			 Harrow 1 4 3 4 2 
			 Hartlepool 0 1 1 2 2 
			 Havering 2 2 0 3 0 
			 Hertfordshire 1 5 7 5 8 
			 Hillingdon 0 4 2 3 5 
			 Hounslow 3 3 1 1 3 
			 Islington 3 2 8 9 10 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1 1 3 1 1 
			 Kent 9 2 8 5 12 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 11 8 8 9 9 
			 Kinston-upon-Thames 1 0 0 0 2 
			 Kirklees 11 2 0 0 4 
			 Knowsley 0 1 3 1 1 
			 Lambeth 7 10 13 10 8 
			 Lancashire 10 9 7 7 10 
			 Leeds 36 7 5 12 11 
			 Leicester City 10 4 3 3 5 
			 Leicestershire 3 1 3 2 2 
			 Lewisham 4 8 7 5 12 
			 Lincolnshire 2 2 0 2 0 
			 Liverpool 7 14 3 7 11 
			 Luton 2 2 0 0 1 
			 Manchester 24 33 42 40 16 
			 Medway 2 3 2 3 3 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 2 1 1 0 2 
			 Merton 2 1 0 0 4 
			 Milton Keynes 0 1 0 0 4 
			 Miscellaneous(2) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Monmouthshire and Torfaen 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Neath Port Talbot 2 1 0 5 4 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 0 10 5 5 5 
			 Newham 9 11 11 11 10 
			 Newport 3 3 4 0 2 
			 Norfolk 1 1 3 2 5 
			 North East Lincolnshire 8 5 4 5 5 
			 North Lincolnshire 10 3 14 4 3 
			 North Somerset 0 1 1 1 2 
			 North Tyneside 2 11 2 3 2 
			 North Yorkshire 0 4 0 0 2 
			 Northamptonshire 11 4 4 7 11 
			 Northumberland 3 3 4 1 1 
			 Nottingham 14 8 18 14 12 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 2 3 4 9 
			 Oldham 2 4 9 7 7 
			 Oxfordshire 5 7 7 9 8 
			 Pembrokeshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Peterborough 2 9 6 5 0 
			 Plymouth 3 2 1 7 3 
			 Powys(1) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Reading(3) 1 0 0 0 6 
			 Redbridge 3 8 7 2 3 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 2 0 0 3 0 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 2 2 1 1 1 
			 Rochdale 3 4 3 5 9 
			 Rotherham 2 0 0 0 3 
			 Salford 10 13 6 4 6 
			 Sandwell 14 5 10 3 1 
			 Sefton 0 2 2 3 0 
			 Sheffield 9 12 17 11 17 
			 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 3 1 0 0 1 
			 Slough 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Solihull 0 2 4 0 6 
			 Somerset 1 4 3 0 2 
			 South Gloucestershire 0 1 0 0 2 
			 South Tees 1 5 4 6 9 
			 South Tyneside 6 2 3 3 0 
			 Southend-on-Sea 1 1 3 2 3 
			 Southwark 4 2 11 6 14 
			 St. Helens 1 0 0 1 3 
			 Staffordshire 4 4 1 0 0 
			 Stockport 4 2 4 2 1 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 0 1 2 0 1 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 6 6 11 5 6 
			 Suffolk 1 7 2 0 3 
			 Sunderland 1 4 3 3 3 
			 Surrey 1 6 0 1 4 
			 Sutton 0 1 1 0 3 
			 Swansea 1 2 1 4 3 
			 Swindon 0 1 2 1 2 
			 Tameside 5 10 5 2 0 
			 Thurrock 1 1 0 0 1 
			 Torbay 0 0 2 0 1 
			 Tower Hamlets and City of London 6 1 3 1 6 
			 Trafford 7 10 15 11 7 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 0 0 0 1 3 
			 Wakefield 1 5 1 6 2 
			 Walsall 0 1 2 4 0 
			 Waltham Forest 6 2 4 5 7 
			 Wandsworth 9 4 5 5 7 
			 Warwickshire 2 7 1 4 5 
			 Wessex 15 10 10 19 28 
			 West Berkshire 1 0 0 3 0 
			 West Sussex 4 8 6 5 2 
			 Westminster 0 3 1 0 4 
			 Wigan 0 6 0 1 1 
			 Wiltshire 1 0 1 1 0 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wirral 6 5 5 13 7 
			 Wokingham(3) n/a n/a 0 2 2 
			 Wolverhampton 3 5 2 0 7 
			 Worcestershire and Herefordshire 3 5 4 2 6 
			 Wrexham 0 0 0 1 3 
			 York 3 1 6 0 1 
			 Total 588 604 610 578 610 
			 (1) Powys and Ceredigion was a combined YOT prior to April 2005. Earlier figures under "Powys" refer to Powys and Ceredigion. (2) Young people whose YOT has not been identified. (3) Reading and Wokingham was a combined YOT prior to April 2007. Earlier figures under "Reading" refer to Reading and Wokingham.

Remand in Custody: Children

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of time is for which children were held on remand in custody in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: The Government believe that young people should only be sent to custody as a last resort. Young people aged 12-16 may be remanded to the care of a local authority with a requirement that they be accommodated in secure conditions. Boys aged 15 and 16 may be remanded to (prison) custody (in practice, a young offender institution) in certain circumstances. Young people aged 17 are treated, in legal terms, as adults, and may not be remanded to local authority care. (Again, they would be placed in an under-18 young offender institution.) Between 1 May 2008 and 30 April 2009, the average length of a remand in custody episode was 40 days and the average length of a remand to the care of a local authority with a security requirement was 47 days.

Remand in Custody: Children

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children who were held on remand in custody in the last 12 months were aged  (a) 10 or 11 years,  (b) 12 or 13 years,  (c) 13 or 14 years,  (d) 15 or 16 years and  (e) 17 or 18 years.

Maria Eagle: The information in the following tables covers the period 1 May 2008 to 30 April 2009. It has been supplied by the Youth Justice Board from administrative systems. Section 23 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 empowers a court to remand a young person aged 12 to 16 to the care of a local authority, with a requirement that he or she is kept in secure accommodation. In certain circumstances, 15 and 16-year-old boys may be remanded to prison custody. In legal terms, 17-year-olds are treated as adults for remand purposes, but would be accommodated in an under-18 young offender institution. 18-year-olds are accommodated in the young adult estate: the Youth Justice Board does not collect data in respect of them.
	The data in the tables cover each remand "episode"; some young people may have been remanded more than once during the period.
	
		
			  Young people aged 12 to  16 remanded to local authority accommodatio n with a security requirement, 1  May 2008 to 30 April 2009 
			  Age  Number 
			 12 13 
			 13 75 
			 14 251 
			 15 158 
			 16 141 
			 Total 638 
		
	
	
		
			  Boys aged 15, 16 and 17 remanded in custody, 1 May 2008 to 30 April 2009 
			  Age  Number  of remand episodes 
			 15 488 
			 16 1,075 
			 17 2,688 
			 Total 4,251

Young Offenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children were overseen by each Youth Offending Team in the most recent year for which data is available.

Jack Straw: The information for each youth offending team is not collected centrally. Youth offending teams oversee young offenders who receive an out-of-court disposal, such as a Final Warning from the police (but, not usually those who receive a police reprimand); appear in court; receive a community sentence; and come out of custody.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bees: Research

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the funding required by the National Bee Unit from his Department to maintain its programme of research into honey bee health at 2008-09 levels in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA commissioned approximately £200,000 of research from The Food and Environment Agency's National Bee Unit (NBU) in 2008-09. DEFRA is contributing £2.5 million over the next five years to the insect pollinator initiative announced on 21 April under which up to £10 million will be available from a number of different funders. The initiative is being developed under the Living with Environmental Change programme and the NBU will be eligible to bid for funds. Decisions on what projects will be funded will be made by the Initiative's funders on the basis of whether they fulfil the eligibility criteria, address the issues outlined in the research call and on the basis of their quality. There is also a limited budget available to fund projects at the NBU to address urgent bee health needs.

Bovine TB Eradication Group

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many meetings the bovine tuberculosis eradication panel has had; if he will publish the  (a) agenda and  (b) minutes of each meeting; and what opportunities there have been for members of the public to make representations to the panel.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Bovine TB Eradication Group for England has had 13 meetings since it was established in November 2008. The group's highlight notes are published shortly after every meeting and these are available on the DEFRA website.
	The group has considered representations from a number of organisations or individuals and, where appropriate, invited them to a meeting to discuss further. The group will continue to invite other experts to contribute to its work as necessary. In addition DEFRA has set up a mailbox so that members of the public, industry bodies and wider interest groups can make enquiries and put forward views.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made in identifying pilot sites for the roll-out of badger bovine tuberculosis vaccines.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Badger Vaccine Deployment areas have been chosen based on specific criteria, which included a historically high incidence of bovine TB in cattle, and in liaison with the Bovine TB Eradication Group for England and other key industry and stakeholder groups.
	Six catchment areas of 300 km(2) were identified, drawn from the worst affected areas of Staffordshire (Eccleshall area), Herefordshire and Worcestershire border (North of Bromyard, East of Tenbury Wells), Gloucestershire (Cotswolds, North-east of Cheltenham and North West of Stroud, towards the Severn Valley) and Devon (East and West of Tiverton).
	Meetings are being held with key regional representatives and, separately, veterinary practices in each area and DEFRA, with Fera, will be working with local people and looking for participants within these regions to define up to 100 km(2) to be vaccinated. Regional meetings will be held with farmers in the autumn, with participants sign-up shortly thereafter.

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science: Consultants

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research spent on external consultants in each of the last five years.

Dan Norris: CEFAS expenditure on management consultancy is outlined in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 5,549 
			 2005-06 38,251 
			 2006-07 161,738 
			 2007-08 57,803 
			 2008-09 72,422 
		
	
	This expenditure covers specialist external consultancy for the primary purpose of providing advice to CEFAS management. Examples include:
	£132,000 spread across 2005-06 and 2006-07 in supporting a response to the DEFRA Laboratory Strategy Programme
	Typically £50,000 specialist support for major procurement exercises each year from 2006/07 onwards
	£30,000 to date for developing our safety and quality management systems.
	The table excludes temporary staff and contractors providing specialised skills and experience under our supervision and guidance. It also excludes technical and scientific consultancy that CEFAS draws on to augment its in-house expertise.
	CEFAS also forms part of a public sector partnership with local authorities to develop new office and laboratory facilities, for completion in 2011. CEFAS has committed costs within the partnership of : 2006-07 £549,658, 2007-08 £983,668 and 2008-09 £305,829 to cover design and development of this scheme.

Dairy Farming

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will request the supermarkets to assist in dealing with the consequences of the failure of dairy farmers of Great Britain.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 23 June 2009
	This is a commercial issue, and we have not specifically asked supermarkets to assist with the consequences of the closure of dairy farmers of Britain.
	We have asked banks and others directly involved to be sympathetic in their dealings with those farms and businesses affected by the collapse.

Departmental Research

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department allocated for research and development in each year since 1997.

Dan Norris: holding answer 15 June 2009
	DEFRA spent the following amounts on research and development:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2002-03 131 
			 2003-04 147 
			 2004-05 153 
			 2005-06 156 
			 2006-07 146 
			 2007-08 138 
			 2008-09 130 
			 2009-10 130 
			 2010-11 (1)130 
			 (1 )Planned expenditure  Notes: 1. These figures were taken from data available through DEFRA's Science Information DEFRA was formed in 2001 through the merging of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) with part of the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR). Consequently, comparable figures are only available from 2002 onwards. 2. From 2008, responsibility for work on mitigating climate change was transferred to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Figures from 2008-9 onwards reflect this change. 3. These figures relate to Research and Development directly managed by DEFRA. Other Government Departments and publicly funded bodies, such as the Research Councils, also fund research which has policy relevance to DEFRA. For instance DEFRA is a leading participant in the Living With Environmental Change programme which aims to fund £1 billion of research between 2007-12 to provide the UK's decision makers with the best information to manage and protect vital ecosystem services in the most effective and practical ways.

Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department plans to amend the Environmental permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007, Schedule 1, Part 2, section 1:1 in the light of the Court of Appeal ruling in the 2007 OSS Group v Environment Agency case; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: With the aim of fulfilling the appeal court's judgment in the OSS case, the Environment Agency carried out a public consultation on an end-of-waste protocol for:
	the production and use of processed fuel oil from waste lubricating oil.
	On conclusion of the Agency's consideration of the responses to that consultation, DEFRA will submit a post-consultation draft of the protocol to the European Commission, and other member states, in compliance with the Technical Standards Directive (98/34/EC). However, DEFRA has no plans to amend the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 in the light of the court's judgment in the OSS case.

Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the effects on levels of exports of used cooking oil to other EU members states of the provisions of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007, Schedule 1, Part 2, Section 1:1; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: This threshold was contained in predecessor Regulations dating back to the last decade. No assessment of its impact specifically on the exports of used cooking oil has been carried out. DEFRA has no plans to change the threshold.

Food

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of  (a) beef,  (b) pork and  (c) lamb consumed in the UK was produced domestically in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Estimates of the percentage of beef and veal, pig meat and mutton and lamb consumed which were produced domestically in each year since 1997 are provided in the table. Figures for 2009 are not yet available. The figures provided are based on volumes of production and trade. The figures are affected by market conditions in the UK and abroad. Factors affecting market conditions include exchange rates, animal disease and consumer demand. When interpreting the figures it is important to look at the trends over time, rather than concentrating on figures for individual years.
	For beef and veal and mutton and lamb the percentage has been relatively stable over the whole period. For pig meat the percentage declined from over 60 per cent. in 1997 to just over 40 per cent. in 2003 due to declining domestic production and increased imports, but has also been fairly stable since then.
	
		
			  Estimate of the percentage consumed from domestic production 
			  Percentage 
			   Beef and veal  Pig meat  Mutton and lamb 
			 1997 76 63 58 
			 1998 82 63 63 
			 1999 78 61 65 
			 2000 78 53 66 
			 2001 71 55 67 
			 2002 70 50 66 
			 2003 69 43 62 
			 2004 69 41 62 
			 2005 72 40 65 
			 2006 75 39 63 
			 2007 74 40 65 
			 2008 72 41 63 
			  Source: Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2008, DEFRA

Genetically Modified Organisms: Crops

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish the scientific advice commissioned by his Department on the cultivation of genetically-modified in maize and sweetcorn; and what consideration he has given to the implications for his policy on such cultivation of the provisions of the Environmental Liability Directive.

Dan Norris: We receive advice on applications for European Union (EU) approval to cultivate GM crops from the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). Its advice on the safety of two types of GM maize for which EU decisions are due, known as Bt11 and 1507 respectively, is available on the DEFRA website at
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/pdf/advice/acre-advice-Bt11-maize.pdf
	and
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/pdf/advice/acre-advice-gm-maize-es-01-01.pdf
	ACRE and the European Food Safety Authority have both said that Bt11 and 1507 do not pose any greater risk for human health and the environment than conventional maize. It is therefore not expected that any issues should arise in relation to possible liability for environmental harm. Moreover, neither Bt11 nor 1507 maize are expected to be grown in the UK, because they are not suitable for our growing conditions and would not offer any benefit to our farmers.

Landfill

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance he has issued to the Environment Agency on the account to be taken of consequential environmental impacts that may occur beyond the perimeter of a site which is the subject of an application for a licence for landfill when considering whether or not to grant such a licence; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: holding answer 23 June 2009
	The principal objective of waste legislation is to ensure that waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health or the environment. Any establishment or undertaking carrying out waste recovery or disposal in England and Wales is required to obtain a permit from the Environment Agency.
	The Environment Agency is required to exercise its functions for the purpose of ensuring the principal objective is met and may not grant a permit where it considers there to be an unacceptable risk to the environment or human health. The Agency may only grant a permit where relevant planning permission is in place and may impose requirements in permits that relate to the preparation, operation, monitoring and control procedures as well as the closure and after-care of a landfill. The Environment Agency has a duty to take action to reduce any negative impacts that are a direct result of a permitted activity. The Environment Agency's criteria apply both inside and outside the site.

Oil: Waste Disposal

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulations govern the combustion of  (a) diesel and  (b) used cooking oil that has been classified as being end-of-waste; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: The relevant thresholds are given in schedule 1, part 2, of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 and are as follows:
	 (a) Diesel
	Section 1.1 part A(1) (a) 50 MW.
	 (b) Used cooking oil that has been classified as non-waste
	Section 1.1 part A(1) (a) 50 MW.
	Section 1.1 part A(1) (b) 3-50 MW.
	The relevant section will be dependent upon the specific type of material being burnt.

Oil: Waste Disposal

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department has issued on whether an end-of-waste product manufactured from used cooking oil requires a permit under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007, Schedule 1, Part 2, Section 1:1; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: The question of whether any particular waste has been fully recovered and has ceased to be waste must be determined on the facts of the case and taking into account relevant case law on the definition of waste. The environment agency is responsible for the implementation of waste management controls in England and Wales. Schedule 1, part 2, section 1.1 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 applies to fuel manufactured from waste regardless of whether the waste from which it has been manufactured has been fully recovered and has ceased to be waste. DEFRA has not issued guidance specifically advising on the question of whether fuel manufactured from used cooking oil requires a permit under this provision.

Oil: Waste Disposal

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department plans to amend the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007, Schedule 1, Part 2, Section 1:1 in the light of the European Court of Justice ruling in the 2000 ARCO Chemie case; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: The Arco Chemie case is discussed in the Interpretative Communication on waste and by-products published by the European Commission on 21 February 2007. DEFRA has no plans to amend the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 in the light of this judgment.

Recycling: Hampshire

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of waste arising in each local authority area in the ceremonial county of Hampshire was recycled in each of the last five years.

Dan Norris: The following table shows the percentage of municipal waste sent to be recycled, composted or reused by each authority in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in the financial years 2003-04 through to 2007-08.
	Some data for 2004-05 are unavailable due to authorities not providing complete data returns.
	
		
			  Percentage of municipal waste sent for recycling, composting or reuse 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Southampton City Council 12.69  24.75 25.50 26.77 
			 Portsmouth City Council 18.22 20.92 23.33 24.84 26.40 
			 Winchester City Council 17.08 18.43 19.50 21.35 31.32 
			 Test Valley Borough Council 14.76  21.71 27.42 35.47 
			 Rushmoor Borough Council 16.89 22.01 21.67 22.72 26.13 
			 New Forest District Council 26.09 26.16 25.13 28.25 32.61 
			 Havant Borough Council 18.65  23.28 30.11 31.99 
			 Hart District Council 17.65 24.18 22.57 30.28 39.07 
			 Gosport Borough Council 15.37  23.62 24.08 25.83 
			 Fareham Borough Council 25.63   38.49 39.79 
			 Eastleigh Borough Council 31.19   36.80 37.44 
			 East Hampshire District Council 33.51  33.50 35.19 38.36 
			 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council 16.15 16.63 16.43 19.12 22.06 
			 Hampshire County Council 15.51  34.39 38.26 41.49 
			 Isle of Wight Council 26.17 24.88 28.82 30.35 33.49 
			  Source:  DEFRA municipal waste management survey and WasteDataFlow.

Recycling: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of waste arising in Peterborough local authority area was recycled in each of the last five years.

Dan Norris: The following table shows the percentage of municipal waste sent to be recycled, composted or reused in Peterborough city council in the financial years 2003-04 through to 2007-08.
	
		
			  Peterborough city council 
			   Percentage of municipal waste sent for recycling, composting or reuse 
			 2003-04 28.19 
			 2004-05 27.87 
			 2005-06 32.11 
			 2006-07 40.09 
			 2007-08 43.17 
			  Source: DEFRA municipal waste management survey and WasteDataFlow

Renewable Energy: Waste

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on the renewable energy sector of the level of rated thermal input allowed by a Part 1A permit under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2007;
	(2)  if he will increase the level of rated thermal input allowed by a Part 1A permit required under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2007 for fuel manufactured from waste which has attained an end-of-waste certificate.

Dan Norris: I assume both these questions refer to a provision in Part A(1) of Section 1.1 of Annex I of the Environmental Permitting Regulations (England and Wales) 2007. This provision refers to burning waste oil, recovered oil or any fuel manufactured from, or comprising, any other waste. If such material is burnt in an appliance with a rated thermal input of more than 3 megawatts, that activity will require a permit from the Environment Agency which embodies integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) requirements.
	The 3 megawatt threshold was contained in predecessor Regulations dating back to the last decade. No assessment of its impact specifically on the renewable energy sector has been carried out. DEFRA has no plans to change the threshold.

School Milk

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many schools in each local authority area provided milk to children under the  (a) EU School Milk Subsidy and  (b) the national top-up scheme in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We do not hold figures on the number of schools that provide milk as part of the EU School Milk Scheme.
	However, there are currently 171 organisations claiming under the scheme in Great Britain:
	155 local authorities;
	six schools;
	one parish council;
	three town councils; and
	six other organisations.

Veterinary Laboratories Agency: Consultants

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Veterinary Laboratories Agency spent on consultants in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Veterinary Laboratories Agency has spent the following on consultants in each of the last five years:
	
		
			
			 2004-05 978,427 
			 2005-06 996,799 
			 2006-07 854,874 
			 2007-08 793,702 
			 2008-09 480,418 
		
	
	Income in 2008-09 was 106 million with expenditure on 'consultancy' of 480,418. This includes just under 300,000 for specialist scientific IT consultancy; 100,000 on management and financial consultancy; with the remaining expenditure on specialist scientific/veterinary consultancy.
	The overall spend for the first two categories is similar for previous years, with a decline from 2004-05 through to 2008-09 in specialist scientific/veterinary consultancy as these specialist skills have been developed in house.

Waste Disposal: EC Countries

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has undertaken research on the treatment of end-of-waste product in other EU members states; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: No such research has been undertaken by DEFRA. However, Article 6 of the revised Waste Framework Directive (WFD) (2008/98/EC) enables the European Commission to adopt end-of-waste criteria for specified waste. With a view to the adoption of such criteria, the Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has carried out preparatory work and has published reports entitled Study on the selection of waste streams for end-of-waste assessment and End-of-waste criteria, methodology and case studies. DEFRA participated in the JRC-chaired discussions that preceded the publication of these reports.
	Article 6 of the revised WFD also provides that, where end-of-waste criteria have not been set by the Commission:
	Member states may decide case by case whether certain waste has ceased to be waste taking into account applicable case law.
	Member states must notify the Commission of such decisions in accordance with the Technical Standards Directive (98/34/EC).

OLYMPICS

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much  (a) electricity and  (b) gas was used on her Office's estate in each year from its inception to 2008-09.

Tessa Jowell: My ministerial portfolio requires my Office to operate across the estates of the Cabinet Office and Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The costs for  (a) electricity and  (b) gas will be included in the answers provided by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela E. Smith) and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much was spent on energy efficiency measures for her Office's estate in each year from its inception to 2009; what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of that expenditure; and what plans she has for future energy efficiency measures.

Tessa Jowell: My ministerial portfolio requires my Office to operate across the estates of the Cabinet Office and Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Energy efficiency measures, assessment of the effectiveness of these measures and future plans for energy efficiency measures will be included in the answers provided by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela E. Smith) and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Minister for the Olympics which official is responsible for the energy efficiency of her Office's estate.

Tessa Jowell: My ministerial portfolio requires my Office to operate across the estates of the Cabinet Office and Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The responsibility for energy efficiency will be included in the answers provided by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela E. Smith) and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Departmental Lost Property

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many laptop computers belonging to her Office have been lost or stolen in the last five years.

Tessa Jowell: Since my Office was established in July 2007 no laptops have been lost or stolen from my private office.

Olympic Delivery Authority: Manpower

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many  (a) directors,  (b) senior managers,  (c) specialist and delivery managers and  (d) executive support and administration staff there were in each Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) office since the inception of the ODA.

Tessa Jowell: As of 31 May 2009, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) employed 245 members of staff. This consists of permanent staff, fixed term contract staff, and secondments. Staff are broken into pay bands across the ODA as set out in the following table. The table also provides the breakdown of staff as at 31 March 2007 and 2008 respectively.
	
		
			  Band  Role  31 May 2009  31 March  20 08  31 March  20 07 
			 6 CEO 1 1 1 
			 5 Directors 7 7 7 
			 4 Heads of Function 28 27 18 
			 3 Managers/Technical Professionals 89 74 44 
			 2 Executives/Officers 58 37 17 
			 1 Administrative Support 62 46 29 
			  Total 245 192 116 
		
	
	The ODA expect overall staffing levels within the organisation to reduce over time as construction progresses on the big five venues for the London 2012 Games although in the transportation area staffing levels will increase as we move closer to Games operations.

Olympic Games 2012: Facilities

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her latest estimate is of the cost of hosting the London 2012 Olympics road cycling event at Regent's Park.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 23 June 2009
	 The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has responsibility for staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The direct costs associated with staging the road cycling event in Regent's Park, which is a publicly owned venue, come from LOCOG's revenues which are primarily derived from commercial sponsorship, broadcast rights, ticket sales and merchandising/licensingnot from the public purse.
	There will be attributable costs to the public purse, for example in respect of the security, transport and other functions associated with the venue. However, these costs have not yet been identified separately for Regent's Park, but they will form part of the overall security and transport budgets.

Olympic Games 2012: Gun Sports

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her latest estimate is of the cost of hosting the London 2012 Olympic shooting event at the Royal Artillery Barracks.

Tessa Jowell: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has responsibility for the staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) constructing the major venues.
	The direct costs associated with staging the events come from LOCOG's revenues, which are primarily derived from commercial sponsorship, broadcast rights, ticket sales and merchandising/licensingnot from the public purse. The ODA is funding some costs at the Royal Artillery Barracks, but project budgets cannot be disclosed owing to reasons of commercial sensitivity, as the contract is yet to be awarded.
	There will be other attributable costs to the public purse, for example in respect of the security and transport functions associated with the venue. However, these costs have not yet been identified separately for individual venues, but they will form part of the overall security and transport budgets.

Olympic Games 2012: Tourism

Sarah Teather: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what estimate she has made of the number of additional visitors expected to visit each  (a) region and  (b) London borough as a result of the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: Using the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd (LOCOG)'s London 2012 Ticket Allocation Model, the Oxford Economics study, 'The Value of the London 2012 Games and Paralympic Games to UK Tourism', published in September 2007 and commissioned by VisitBritain and Visit London, estimated that there will be approximately 900,000 attendees at events related to the 2012 Games.
	However, this will contribute only a small part of the estimated 2.1 billion tourism gains for the UK as a whole that will result from the Games during the period 2007-17. The study has also estimated that there will be in excess of 32 million UK-wide extra nights stayed by visitors as a result of the Games, of which nearly 22 million will be in London. No other London or regional breakdown is currently available.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Data Protection

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many breaches of information security there have been at  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in the last five years.

Paul Goggins: There have been 10 breaches of information security since 1 January 2004.
	The Northern Ireland Office and its agencies report all significant personal data security breaches to the Cabinet Office and the ICO. Information on personal data security breaches are published on an annual basis in the Department's annual resource accounts as was announced in the Data Handling Review published on 25 June 2008.
	Additionally, all significant control weaknesses including other significant security breaches are included in the Statement of Internal Control which is published within the annual resource accounts.

Departmental Location

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on relocation costs for new members of staff in each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office, including the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland but excluding its agencies and NDPBs, has had no expenditure on resettlement costs for new members of staff in each of the last three years.

Prisoners Release: Northern Ireland

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many foreign national prisoners were released from Northern Ireland prisons in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Between July 2006 and May 2009 releases were as shown in the following table and include immigration detainees who have served a sentence and were held on immigration warrants:
	
		
			   July 2006 to  June 2007  July 2007 to  April 2008  May 2008 to  May 2009 
			 Released time served 72 101 165 
			 Released on bail 96 72 102 
			 Discharged by the court 25 18 73 
			 Released fine paid 11 8 14 
			 Released by hospital order 1 2 3 
			 Transferred to UK prison   1 
			 Released, charges withdrawn   8 
			 Released into IND/UKBA custody for consideration of removal/deportation 21 41 53 
			 Total 226 242 419 
		
	
	Prior to July 2006 statistics are available only on those foreign national prisoners released from Northern Ireland prisons who were serving a sentence of 12 months or more. Between January 2004 and June 2006, 16 such foreign national prisoners were released, seven of whom into the custody of the Immigration and Nationality Department (IND).

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Data Protection

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many breaches of information security there have been at  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department has had nine security incidents over the past five years. Royal Parks, our one agency, has had nine security incidents in the same period.

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which official is responsible for the energy efficiency of his Department's estate.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Director of Corporate Services is responsible for energy efficiency for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's estate.

Departmental Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated public bodies on administration of the making of grants as a proportion of the amount of grants made in 2008-09.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not hold this data. To provide this information would incur disproportionate costs. However, a report by the National Audit Office entitled Making grants efficiently in the culture, media and sports sector was published in May 2008. Please see the following link.
	http://www.nao.org.uk/our_work_by_sector/culture_media_and_leisure/making_grants_efficiently.aspx

Departmental Food

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the  (a) meat,  (b) fruit and  (c) vegetables procured by his Department in the last 12 months was produced in the UK.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department procures the following percentage of domestic produce:
	 (a) Meat: 96 per cent.
	 (b) Fruit: 70 per cent.
	 (c) Vegetables: 86 per cent.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to which  (a) magazines,  (b) journals and  (c) newspapers his Department subscribes; and what the cost of such subscriptions has been in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information in the following table represents expenditure incurred by the Department on subscriptions for hard copy and online magazines, newspapers, books and other publications, access to specific research databases, the Stationery Office and other parliamentary information sources as well as legal online and hard copy updating services.
	
		
			
			 2006-07 160,368 
			 2007-08 175,666 
			 2008-09 200,707 
			  Notes: 1. All figures given to nearest whole figure. 2. The 2008-09 figures have yet to be audited and are therefore subject to change. 
		
	
	The way our financial information has been recorded does not allow us to disaggregate newspapers, magazines and journals from the overall expenditure. To provide a list of individual titles to which the Department subscribes would incur a disproportionate cost in excess of 750.

Gambling: Internet

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of steps taken by the online gambling industry to identify and prevent fraud in relation to bets taken on sport.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Licensed betting operators are required by the Gambling Commission to provide information in relation to bets they suspect may relate to an offence under the Act. The Commission is working with all licensed betting operators to ensure the identification and prevention of fraud in relation to sports betting is effective.
	In addition, the expert panel on sports integrity I am establishing will look at, consider and report on, a range of issues including the identification and prevention of online fraud in relation to betting integrity.

Gambling: Internet

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will submit to the European Commission a paper giving the Government's opinion on the legislation proposed by the French government on the operation of its domestic online gambling market; and if he will discuss with the government of Malta the likely effects of its policy on that matter on UK leisure and gaming businesses.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The UK Government have submitted comments to the European Commission under the technical notification procedure on the French legislative proposals in relation to online gambling. We are concerned that some of the measures contained in the notification may constitute restrictions to trade and our comments have emphasised the need for any restrictions to be justified by imperative reasons in the general interest; to be suitable for achieving the objectives in question; to be necessary and proportionate; and to be applied in a non-discriminatory manner, as interpreted by decisions of the European Court of Justice.
	I have no plans to conduct formal discussions with the Government of Malta over this matter although my officials found the detailed opinions submitted by the Government of Malta and the European Commission helpful when considering this issue.

Gambling: Internet

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received from UK leisure and gaming businesses on the likely effects on them of  (a) provisions relating to a sports rights levy and  (b) other provisions proposed by the French government in draft legislation on its domestic online gambling market.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Officials from the Department recently met with representatives from the remote gambling industry to discuss the French legislative proposals on online gambling. During that meeting, the industry set out their concerns over the impact some of the proposals might have on UK gambling businesses, including in respect of the provisions relating to a sports rights levy.

Licensed Premises: Gambling

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to publish the outcomes of the consultations on premises licence regulations (section 172(6)) (gaming tables).

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 22 June 2009
	The Consultation on Casino Premises Licence Regulations under section 172(6) of the Gambling Act 2005 closed on 15 May 2009. I am considering all responses and will make an announcement shortly.

Olympic Games 2012

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalent members of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated public bodies are working on projects relating to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; how many of them are working on (i) project management, (ii) legacy planning, (iii) project oversight and (iv) financial oversight; and what plans he has for future staffing levels in each case.

Tessa Jowell: I have been asked to reply.
	The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are a key priority across Government. The Government Olympic Executive (GOE) was set up within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to oversee the delivery of Government objectives for the Games.
	As of 15 June, the GOE consisted of 93.7 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff. Of this total, no members of staff are working in roles defined as project management roles, 21.5 are working in roles mainly relating to legacy planning, 14 on roles mainly relating to project oversight, and six on roles mainly relating to financial control/oversight. The remainder of staff work mainly on programme assurance and risk management, staging, strategic communications and parliamentary matters.
	In terms of further specific posts relating to Olympic projects within DCMS, 7.5 FTE staff are employed on Olympic Programme Management, the Cultural Olympiad and in the Press Office. Of these, approximately 3.4 FTE are in roles relating to project management and approximately 1.1 FTE in roles relating to project oversight. The purpose of these posts is to manage the wider DCMS interests in relation to staging the Games such as elite sport, sport participation, tourism and culture. The remaining three FTE staff are full time press officers.
	As of 31 May 2009, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) employed 245 members of staff. This consists of permanent staff, fixed term contract staff, and secondments. Contained within the fixed term contract staff category there are a number of graduates that have been recruited for a 10 month placement as part of the ODA's graduate placement scheme.
	Of the 245 members of staff employed by the ODA, 136 are currently working in project management roles across a number of ODA teams.
	It is not possible to provide a breakdown of those staff that are exclusively working on legacy planning roles as every project within the programme is considered with legacy in mind ensuring that legacy requirements are incorporated into design briefs, specifications and business plans. This approach is designed to ensure that the London 2012 Games will be the catalyst for the regeneration of one of the most underdeveloped areas of the UK.
	The ODA currently has nine members of staff with overall project oversight responsibilities, and 19 employees who work closely with its Delivery Partner on the financial oversight of the programme. In addition the ODA has engaged Ernst and Young to provide an Internal Audit service.
	The ODA expect overall staffing levels within the organisation to reduce over time as construction progresses on the big five venues for the London 2012 Games although in the transportation area staffing levels will increase as we move closer to Games operations.
	Information relating to DCMS's other non-departmental public bodies who are working on projects relating to the London 2012 Olympics could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Future staffing levels in the GOE will remain under review, within the overall budgetary settlement agreed with HM Treasury.

Playing Fields

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to  (a) enable and  (b) encourage local authorities to increase their provision of sports pitches.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England have advised that local authorities are encouraged to develop strategies for the provision of playing fields in their area under Planning Policy Guidance Note 17(2002). Sport England provides further advice on how to do this in its documentTowards a Level Playing Field.
	This clearly states that local authorities should ensure that they have an adequate supply of pitches to meet current and future needs within their area. The Department for Communities and Local Government are committed to updating Planning Policy Guidance Note 17(2002) in the near future.

Sport: Norwich

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding his Department allocated to sport-related groups in Norwich in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department allocated Sport England over 480 million of Exchequer funding in the last five years, to invest in community sport both through National Governing Bodies and more specific local initiatives.
	In addition, in 2009-10, the Department has allocated Sport England 135.7 million of Exchequer funding. Sport England has targets to get one million people doing more sport by 2012-13, and to make a major contribution to the delivery of the five hour sports offer for children and young people. Norwich will benefit, alongside every area of England, from Exchequer and lottery investment by Sport England in 2009-10 in support of these targets.
	Specifically, Sport England have advised that the following initiatives have received funding to support participation in sport in Norwich in each of the last financial years.
	
		
			  Financial year  Parliamentary constituency  Recipient  Project description  Total award () 
			 2004-05 Norwich, South Norfolk County Council Community sports coach scheme 30,333 
			 Total30,333 
			  
			 2005-06 Norwich, South Norfolk County Council Community sports coach scheme 95,460 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk County Council PESSCL and coaching taskforce 10,000 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk County Council PESSCL and coaching taskforce 9,100 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk County Council PESSCL and coaching taskforce 43,775 
			  Norwich, North Broadland District Council Community sports co-ordinator 3,000 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk County Council Norfolk consumer support network 3,000 
			 Total164,335 
			  
			 2006-07 Norwich, South Norfolk County Council Community sports coach scheme 140,878 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk County Council PESSCL and coaching taskforce 3,750 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk County Council PESSCL and coaching taskforce 20,000 
			 Total164,628 
			  
			 2007-08 Norwich, South Norfolk County Council Community sports coach scheme 130,053 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk County Council PESSCL (PESSYP from January 2008) and coaching taskforce 20,000 
			 Total150,053 
			  
			 2008-09 Norwich, South Norfolk County Council Community sports coach scheme 36,766 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk County Council Community sports coach scheme 71,187 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk County Council PESSCL (PESSYP from January 2008) and coaching taskforce 22,000 
			  Norwich, North Hellesdon High School New facility build 65,000 
			  Norwich, South Active Norfolk County Sports Partnership Active Lloyds Norfolk 16,713 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk Lawn Tennis Association Norfolk lawn tennis association 24,999 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk County Council Active Norfolk extending activity capacity funding 26,000 
			  Norwich, South Norfolk County Council Active Norfolk extending activity delivery funding 225,600 
			  Norwich, South Norwich City Football in the Community Norwich City FC football in the community 6,000 
			 Total494,265 
			  
			 Grand total1,003,614

Sports: Finance

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding his Department made available to maintain and improve sporting facilities in  (a) the borough of Test Valley and  (b) Southampton in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department has allocated Sport England over 480 million of Exchequer funding in the last five years to invest in community sport both through National Governing Bodies and more specific local initiatives.
	In addition, in 2009-10, the Department has allocated Sport England 135.7 million of Exchequer funding. Sport England has targets to get 1 million people doing more sport by 2012-13, and to make a major contribution to the delivery of the five hour sports offer for children and young people. Test Valley and Southampton will benefit, alongside every area of England, from Exchequer and Lottery investment by Sport England in 2009-10 in support of these targets.
	Specifically, Sport England have advised that the following initiatives have received funding to support participation in sport in Test Valley and Southampton.
	 Free Swimming
	Southampton Unitary Authority has opted in to the Under 16 and Over 60 Free Swimming Programme and has received 173,211. The local authorities that have opted to offer the scheme to both age groups have also received a share of a 10 million capital fund to spend on modernising or improving pool provision. Southampton has received 69,290 in this regard.
	 Sportsmatch
	There have been two awards in the Test Valley area totalling 13,580 under the Sportsmatch scheme which aims to support the development of grassroots sport in England.
	 Southampton Amateur Rowing Club
	Two payments in the last five years totalling 179,487 have been made for renovation and refurbishment work.
	 Southampton Amateur Gym Club
	Three payments in the last five years totalling 258,414 have been made for renovation and refurbishment work.

Tourism: Economic Situation

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the potential contribution of the tourism industry towards economic recovery.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 16 June 2009
	Tourism is the United Kingdom's fifth largest industry. It contributes over 86 billion a year to the national economy and supports, both directly and indirectly, over 2.7 million jobs.
	However, the number of overseas visitors to these shores has fallen this year compared with previous ones. But outbound visits by UK residents have also fallen, and these were 6 per cent. lower in January to February 2009 than they were in the same period last year. This offers a potentially good prospect for domestic tourism at a time when current projections show employment in the tourism and hospitality industry will grow by almost 10 per cent. by 2017, creating over 200,000 additional jobs.
	Other opportunities the industry is well placed to exploit include: favourable currency exchange rates; the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; the unprecedented number of high level sports events in the UK in the decade between 2009 and 2019; the Cultural Olympiad and, potentially, the UK City of Culture Competition.
	These opportunities, combined with the UK's enviable heritage and attractions, mean that the contribution that the tourism industry would make to the UK's economic recovery could be considerable.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Asylum

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the implications of the recent Slough and Coventry court judgements for the provision of emergency support for vulnerable refused asylum seekers by local authorities.

Ian Austin: The Department for Communities and Local Government has made no formal assessment of the court judgments. Refused asylum seekers are the responsibility of the UK Border Agency.

Council Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much revenue was collected in  (a) rent and  (b) right to buy receipts in each local authority in each of the last 10 years.

Ian Austin: I have placed in the Library of the House the available information for the last 10 years on  (a) rents collected in respect of dwellings held in each local authority's housing revenue account and  (b) receipts.
	Information on receipts arising from the sale of dwellings under right to buy is available from the Department's website on:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/table-648.xls

Council Housing: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the report of the Review of Council Housing Finance will be published.

Ian Austin: The Review of Council Housing Finance will report to Ministers soon. We do not intend to publish the report but will hold a public consultation on our proposals later in the year.

Demos

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has any contracts with the think-tank Demos.

Shahid Malik: The Department has no contracts for supplies or services with the think-tank Demos.

Departmental Correspondence

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of letters to his Department from hon. Members' Parliamentary offices were answered within 30 days of the date of receipt in each quarter from January 2008 to March 2009.

Shahid Malik: The following proportion of MP correspondence cases were answered within 30 working days:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			  2008  
			 Q1 83 
			 Q2 85 
			 Q3 90 
			 Q4 88 
			   
			  2009  
			 Q1 82

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much  (a) electricity and  (b) gas was used (i) on his Department's and its predecessor's estate and (ii) by his Department's and its predecessor's agencies in each year from 2004-05 to 2008-09.

Shahid Malik: The Department for Communities and Local Government, its predecessors and its Executive agencies used the following quantities of electricity and gas each year from 2004-05:
	
		
			  Electricity consumption 
			   CLG estate  Executive agencies 
			 2004-05 10,744,962 15,311,717 
			 2005-06 12,642,144 12,700,819 
			 2006-07 13,018,289 12,889,192 
			 2007-08 10,850,743 11,751,470 
			 2008-09 n/k n/k 
		
	
	
		
			  Gas  consumption 
			   CLG estate  Executive agencies 
			 2004-05 9,273,713 20,434,155 
			 2005-06 9,339,992 20,740,911 
			 2006-07 8,769,886 12,889,192 
			 2007-08 6,329,978 18,084,384 
			 2008-09 n/k n/k 
		
	
	Data collation for 2008-09 is still in progress. The Department expects to complete and verify this process by September 2009.

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which official is responsible for the energy efficiency of his Department's estate.

Shahid Malik: The official responsible for the energy efficiency of the Department for Communities and Local Government's estate is Andy Mills, Deputy Director Working Environment Division.

Home Information Packs

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many inspections local authority trading standards officers had carried out in relation to the accuracy and completeness of personal search information contained in a home information pack on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to monitor the level of enforcement action taken by trading standards officers in each local authority in relation to the accuracy and completeness of personal search information contained in home information packs.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Wright) to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 10 November 2008,  Official Report, column 860W.

Housing

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate has been made of the number of  (a) homes and  (b) second homes in each district.

Ian Austin: I have placed in the Library of the House a table giving details of the total number of dwellings, and the number of dwellings registered as second homes for council tax purposes, in each billing authority in England.

Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Homes and Communities Agency debt is to be repaid as a priority under the terms of the Kickstart Housing Delivery programme.

John Healey: The HCA loan would be repayable to the HCA after senior debt is repaid.

Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the number of unsold new build properties.

Ian Austin: Information on the total number of unsold new build properties is not held centrally.
	Where the Homes and Communities Agency has allocated grant for the purchase of unsold stock through its Affordable Housing Programme these figures have been provided to the hon. Member on 27 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1115W.

Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the number of housing developments in England on which construction  (a) has not started and  (b) is not progressing; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: There has been no estimate made of the number of housing developments in England on which construction has not started or is not progressing.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether tenants who have purchased equity in their houses under the Social HomeBuy scheme are liable for the maintenance costs of their houses; and what guidance is issued to purchasers in relation to liability for service charges for their property.

John Healey: If a social tenant buys a share in their home under Social HomeBuy, he or she is generally responsible for all the costs of maintaining it. The extent of their liability for maintenance and for service charges will be set out in their shared ownership lease prior to completion of the sale, and local authority and housing association landlords may decide to share the costs of maintaining properties sold under Social HomeBuy.

Housing: Low Incomes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been bought through the National Clearing House scheme in each local authority area in the South West region since the scheme's inception.

Ian Austin: The table shows the number of affordable homes by local authority in the South West for which allocations of grant were given by the Homes and Communities Agency to registered social landlords to purchase unsold developer stock in 2008-09:
	
		
			  Sponsor local authority  Number of units 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 5 
			 Bournemouth 36 
			 Bristol 301 
			 Caradon 24 
			 Carrick 18 
			 East Dorset 13 
			 Gloucester 40 
			 Kennet 52 
			 Kerrier 20 
			 Mendip 54 
			 Mid Devon 27 
			 North Cornwall 18 
			 North Devon 40 
			 North Somerset 150 
			 North Wiltshire 188 
			 Plymouth 64 
			 Purbeck 6 
			 Restormel 76 
			 Sedgemoor 18 
			 South Gloucestershire 132 
			 South Hams 18 
			 South Somerset 7 
			 Stroud 43 
			 Swindon 75 
			 Taunton Deane 15 
			 Teignbridge 7 
			 Tewkesbury 10 
			 Torbay 14 
			 Torridge 71 
			 West Devon 79 
			 West Dorset 46 
			 West Somerset 16 
			 West Wiltshire 82 
			 Weymouth and Portland 4 
			 Grand total 1,769

Local Government Finance: South West

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make an estimate of the expenditure from the public purse incurred by  (a) local authorities and  (b) other public sector organisations for which his Department is responsible in the South West in the last 12 months.

Shahid Malik: Financial information in this form is only available by financial year (April to March). Estimates of expenditure from the public purse incurred by local authorities in the South West can be extrapolated from local authority returns. Total budgeted revenue expenditure for 2008-09 is estimated to be 8,517 million. For the same period, provisional outturn capital expenditure was reported to be 1,376 million. For other public sector organisations for which this Department is responsible the best estimate of expenditure from the public purse in the South West is 523 million.

Local Government: Public Relations

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on the allocation by them of resources for the purposes of communications and public relations.

Rosie Winterton: The Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity, to which statute requires all local authorities to have regard, contains specific advice on the costs of local authority publicity, reminding local authorities that they are accountable to the public for their expenditure and should aim to achieve the greatest possible cost-effectiveness.

Local Government: Young People

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of involvement of young people in the work of local authorities and other local public bodies for which his Department is responsible.

Rosie Winterton: My Department is facilitating a series of programmes to increase levels of involvement of young people in the work of local authorities and other public bodies.
	Communities and Local Government (CLG) established 'young advisors' in 2005, with the aim of creating a pool of young people aged 15 to 21 to help local authorities and public bodies in their policy making and delivery of services. There are now 41 schemes operating across the country at a local level with around 400 trained young advisors.
	We have also announced 2 million for a pilot programme to look at the way that young mayors can empower young people to take part in the local democratic process.
	Finally, Communities and Local Government is supporting a programme of internships with local councillors. This programme will take place over a two year period and will provide young people with 25 hours of shadowing opportunities to help develop their understanding of local democracy.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of people who will be assisted by the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme in  (a) Tamworth constituency and  (b) England in the next 12 months.

John Healey: The aim of Homeowners Mortgage Support is to prevent repossessions, where households suffer a temporary income shock. After taking money advice, homeowners apply to their lenders to join the scheme, which allows them to defer up to 70 per cent. of the interest due. The Government have published an impact assessment, which estimates how many borrowers, at UK level, could be eligible. Official figures on the number of households entering the scheme will be published later this year.
	Homeowners Mortgage Support is only one form of help available to householders facing repossessions. Government have taken other steps to support households including:
	the enhanced Support for Mortgage Interest scheme to help out of work householders with interest payments;
	the Mortgage Rescue Scheme, where local authorities step in to help vulnerable households stay in their homes;
	expanding free legal advice service by increasing court desk coverage;
	new pre-action protocol in place on lenders;
	20 million funding for local authorities to provide direct support to householder and;
	over 18 million additional funding for debt advice services.

Non-domestic Rates: Ports

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations the Prime Minister has received on the effect of the application of retrospective business rates on firms located in ports.

Rosie Winterton: The Secretary of State has received recent correspondence as set out in the table from some port businesses and their representatives on the issue of retrospective business rates.
	
		
			  Date  r eceived  Correspondent 
			 6 May 2009 John MacIntyre, Frank Armitt and Son 
			 20 May 2009 Louise Ellman MP, re Mersey Maritime 
			 27 May 2009 Norman Hawkes, Leafe and Hawkes 
			 29 May 2009 Graham Mansbridge, P  O Ferries 
			 1 June 2009 Andy Dixon, Freshney Cargo 
			 5 June 2009 Austin Mitchell MP re Freshney Cargo 
			 10 June 2009 Louise Ellman MP 
			 16 June 2009 Austin Mitchell MP 
			 16 June 2009 Simon Leafe, Leafe and Hawkes 
			 18 June 2009 Andy Dixon, Freshney Cargo

Social Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) single occupancy households,  (b) two person households and  (c) three person households housed in social sector homes with (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three and (iv) four or more bedrooms in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: The requested estimates are provided in the following table. These estimates are based on data from the 2007-08 Survey of English Housing.
	
		
			  Number of people in social sector households by number of bedrooms, England, 2007-08 
			   Number of bedrooms 
			   1  2  3  4 or more  Total 
			  Number of people in household  
			 1 962 443 231 15 1,651 
			 2 188 473 386 15 1,062 
			 3 19 223 288 16 546 
			 4 or more 8 159 449 90 705 
			 All 1,178 1,297 1,354 135 3,964 
			  Source:  Communities and Local Government, Survey of English Housing

Social Rented Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications for funding from the 100 million fund for local authorities to build social rented housing have been received from applicants in each region.

Ian Austin: None. We expect to receive the first bids in early July.

Temporary Accommodation: Costs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average cost to local authorities of providing temporary accommodation for  (a) single occupancy households and  (b) families in (i) each of the last three years and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: This information is not collected centrally.

Temporary Accommodation: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were in temporary accommodation in Peterborough in each of the last five years; and how long on average such households spent in such accommodation in each such year.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 843W.

Thurrock Thameside Urban Development Corporation

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what occasions the Housing Minister and his predecessor  (a) visited Thurrock constituency and  (b) met the Thurrock Thameside Urban Development Corporation in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: I was appointed Minister for the Thames Gateway and Olympics legacy on 9 June 2009. I visited Thurrock on 16 June 2009, to mark the start of works on the new Royal Opera House production park facility in Purfleet. During my visit, I met members and officers of the Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation, members and officers of the council and people from the local community, as well as my hon. Friend.
	My predecessors have met members and officers of the Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation informally at a range of meetings including the Thames Gateway Strategic Partnership.

Urban Areas: Regeneration

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support his Department provides to the retail sector for the encouragement of innovative town centre redevelopment.

Ian Austin: The Government are committed to helping local authorities and the retail sector encourage innovative town centre redevelopment through planning, town centre partnerships, town centre management and other town centre initiatives. These all help to provide solid foundations on which to build strong and attractive town centres.
	We have put in place strong policies in Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres (PPS6) (published 2005), to allow local authorities to sustain and enhance their town centres. PPS6 asks local planning authorities to plan positively and proactively for their town centres with growth focused in existing centres in order to strengthen them and, where appropriate, regenerate them.
	On 14 April 2009 we published Looking after our town centres, a document setting out the range of powers, guidance and approaches that can help local authorities and their partners promote the vitality and viability of town centres, and explains additional steps that the Government are taking to enable further positive action to be taken, particularly through the temporary use of empty shops.
	On 5 May 2009 we also published a consultation draft Planning Policy Statement 4 (PPS4): Planning for Prosperous Economies which will replace PPS6. This maintains a strong town centres first policy. Draft PPS4 reinforces the existing policy requirement for local authorities to plan proactively for their areas in partnership with business and local communities. We want authorities to identify suitable opportunities for new development, expand town centres where necessary, and address the needs of deprived areas.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Detainees

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the US administration notified his Department that it had agreed to transfer four former detainees from Guantnamo Bay to Bermuda before the transfer occurred; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The former detainees arrived in Bermuda early on 11 June 2009. The US Administration notified our embassy in Washington of the transfer a few hours earlier.

China: British Nationality

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals are living in the People's Republic of China.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not able to record the total number of British nationals resident in China. Based on figures held by the Public Security Bureaux in China where resident British nationals need to register, we estimate there are approximately 15,000 British nationals living in mainland China and 265,000 in Hong Kong.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions arising from air travel by staff in his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff.

Chris Bryant: In 2006-07 total carbon emissions from air travel originating in the UK by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff were 14,727 tonnes of CO2 emissions (CO2e) equating to 3.8 tonnes of CO2e per full-time equivalent (FTE) member of staff. In 2007-08 emissions from air travel originating in the UK by FCO staff were 12,874 tonnes CO2e equating to 3.4 tonnes per FTE.

Departmental Cleaning Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which organisations provided cleaning services to his Department in each of the last three years; and what the cost of each such contract was in each such year.

Chris Bryant: Over the last three years cleaning services have been provided to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by the following contractors at the indicated cost.
	
		
			   Contractor   
			 2006-07 Emprise 1,324,684.40 
			 2007-08 Emprise 1,416,941.20 
			
			 2008-09 Emprise (to 31 November 2008) 1,033,477.50 
			  Interserve FM (from 1 December 2008) 504,539.00

Departmental Electricity

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the percentage of electricity used by his Department which was derived from renewable sources in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Chris Bryant: In 2006-07 the percentage of electricity derived from renewable sources for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office UK Estate, including Wilton Park, was 32.7 per cent. In 2007-08 this figure was 30 per cent.

Departmental Resignations

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of staff have resigned from his Department in each year since 2001.

Chris Bryant: The number of UK civil servants employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services (FCOS) who resigned in each of the last five years was:
	
		
			   FCO  FCOS 
			 2004-05 69 20 
			 2005-06 94 3 
			 2006-07 100 1 
			 2007-08 93 10 
			 2008-09 77 2 
		
	
	We do not hold records of resignations before 2004.
	These figures do not include staff who took early retirement (with compensation) as a result of restructuring programmes.

Departmental Work Experience

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid graduate internships his Department has awarded in each of the last six months.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) takes part in the Cabinet Office run Summer Development Programme and Summer Placement Scheme for undergraduates and graduates. In 2009 we awarded 10 paid placements to candidates from ethnic minority and disabled backgrounds. There are currently no centrally organised, unpaid, graduate internship programmes in the FCO.

Diplomatic Service: Gifts and Endowments

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance his Department issues to envoys appointed by the Prime Minister on the acceptance of  (a) payments,  (b) gifts,  (c) rewards and  (d) other emoluments from (i) non-governmental agencies and (ii) foreign governments.

Chris Bryant: Part-time special envoys appointed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister offer their services and expertise on a voluntary basis. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not employ them or offer contractual terms to them. We reimburse relevant expenses when envoys undertake visits or engagements at our request.
	Political appointments made by the Prime Minister to high commissioner posts are subject to the civil service code, like all FCO members of staff. As such they may not accept benefits of any kind from a third party, which might reasonably be seen to compromise their personal judgement or integrity. We insist that staff observe the highest standards of propriety, avoid any perceived conflict of interest and refuse all gifts, unless they are of insignificant value.

Eritrea: Human Rights

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government last made representations to the government of Eritrea on human rights issues.

Ivan Lewis: The UK raises human rights issues with the Eritrean Government both in Asmara and with the Eritrean Ambassador to London on a regular basis, highlighting the amount of public and parliamentary interest we receive. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, raised human rights with the Eritrean Ambassador at the end of last year.
	We also discuss human rights as part of the EU via the Article 8 Political Dialogue. EU Heads of Mission produced a human rights report at the end of January to discuss with the Government of Eritrea. Unfortunately, since initial discussions earlier this year the Government of Eritrea has twice refused to have human rights included on the Article 8 Dialogue agenda for discussion. We will raise our disappointment, as part of EU Heads of Mission, at the Eritrean Government's reluctance to return to human rights issues as part of the planned Article 8 Political Dialogue when EU Heads of Mission and representatives of the Eritrean Government next meet on 23 June 2009.
	We will continue to press to get human rights discussions back on the Article 8 Dialogue agenda.

European Anti-Fraud Office

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases the European Anti-Fraud Office has investigated since its inception; and how many investigations have resulted in one or more convictions.

Chris Bryant: Information on the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)'s operations can be found in its annual reports.
	OLAF's most recent operations report states that
	'A total of 67 actions corresponding to 20 decisions were undertaken for the protection of the EC's financial interests. A significant proportion of these actions resulted in imprisonments (24). The three other most frequent actions were financial penalties (19), suspended sentences (18) and damages (5). No suspects were acquitted in 2007'
	OLAF will also have referred cases to national prosecutors that national authorities may then have taken action on independently.
	The full report can be found on OLAF's website at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/reports/olaf/2007/en.pdf
	Reports for previous years' operations can also be found on the OLAF website at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/reports/olaf_en.html

European Commission

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assess the merits of holding national elections to determine the UK's European Commissioner.

Ivan Lewis: European Commissioners are required to be:
	independent in the performance of their duties
	not taking:
	instructions from any Government or other institution, body, office or entity.
	Any Commissioner put forward can have no given mandate from the UK.

HMS Poseidon

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the alleged secret salvaging by China of the HMS Poseidon submarine lost in a peacetime accident in 1931; what information he has received on the disposal of human remains allegedly recovered by China; what contact his Department has had with the families of the crew members who died; and what representations he proposes to make on the subject to the Chinese government.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 22 June 2009
	 We are aware of reports that the submarine HMS Poseidon was salvaged in 1972. We have sought clarification from the Chinese authorities, and await their reply.

International Renewable Energy Agency

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with his counterpart in  (a) Germany,  (b) Austria,  (c) Denmark and  (d) the United Arab Emirates on their bids to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 23 June 2009
	 My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) with the German, Austrian or Danish Foreign Ministers. He has discussed the issue with the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the German Environment Minister. He stressed with both that, as the UK was not a member of IRENA and so had no voting rights, the UK would not take a formal position on where the headquarters should be situated.

International Renewable Energy Agency

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with counterparts in  (a) Canada,  (b) China,  (c) Japan,  (d) India,  (e) Brazil,  (f) Australia and  (g) the US regarding membership of the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 23 June 2009
	 My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with counterparts in these countries concerning the International Renewable Energy Agency.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has lead responsibility for our policy towards renewable energy. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was set up by the German Government in January 2009 and now has around 100 member governments. Mandated by these governments worldwide, IRENA aspires to become the main driving force for promoting a rapid transition towards the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale. The UK (DECC) have now confirmed that they will sign-up to IRENA; this should happen this week.

Laos: Prisoners

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make further representations to the Lao government about the welfare and political status of the prisoners Thao Mua, Pa Fue Khang, Thonpaseuth Keuakoun, Seng-Aloun Phengphanh and Bouavanh Chanhmanivong.

Ivan Lewis: Our embassy in Bangkok, which is accredited to Laos, asked the Lao authorities on 15 May 2009 and again on 21 May 2009 for an update on the current situation of these prisoners. The Lao authorities have however responded saying that they are unable to provide any additional information to that supplied in 2008 concerning these men.
	We will continue to raise our concerns with the relevant Lao authorities whenever the opportunity arises.

Pakistan: Ethnic Groups

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Pakistan on the treatment of minorities in that country.

Ivan Lewis: The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron), visited Pakistan in February 2009 and met the Pakistani Minister for Human Rights, Mumtaz Gilani and the Minister for Minority Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti. During these meetings, she pressed for more action to protect the rights of minorities in Pakistan. My hon. Friend also called for a review of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, which are frequently abused and lead to significant discrimination against minorities.
	Bilaterally and with our EU partners we continue to call upon the Government of Pakistan to promote the concept of freedom of religion and belief and to initiate early reform of the discriminatory blasphemy legislation.
	In the course of their duties, officials at our high commission in Islamabad regularly meet with members of the Government of Pakistan to discuss the human rights situation in Pakistan.

Royal Visits

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on clothing for official visits overseas by members of the Royal Family in 2008-09.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not pay clothing costs for members of the Royal Family on official overseas travel.

Somalia: Piracy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1425W, when the next meeting of Working Group 1 of the Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia will be; and what matters will be discussed at the meeting.

Ivan Lewis: Working Group 1 met informally on 10 June 2009 in the margins of the Seoul High-Level Meeting on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. It discussed regional capability development priorities with the representatives of regional countries and other international partners. The next formal meeting is planned to take place in London on 10 July 2009. The meeting is likely again to focus predominantly on regional capability development needs and priorities, although an agenda is yet to be finalised.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the prospects for implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan, with particular reference to the forthcoming  (a) elections in Sudan and  (b) referendum on the future of South Sudan.

Ivan Lewis: The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is the foundation for future peace and stability across Sudan. With only two years before the end of the interim period, we remain concerned at the number of outstanding CPA issues, including preparations for elections and referenda. We welcome the CPA conference in Washington on 23 June 2009 which will bring together both North and South and the international community to tackle these issues.
	We welcome the National Election Commission's plans for elections in February 2010, although we are concerned that preparations are behind schedule. There are major challenges which must be addressed, including ensuring necessary legislation, such as the security and press acts, is appropriate. The UK will be providing significant assistance and we are working with the Sudanese and the international community to ensure peaceful and credible elections are held.
	The UK remains completely committed to fair and credible referenda on self-determination, both for Abyei and the South, as defined in the CPA. The referendum bill is currently being discussed in the Sudanese parliament. We urge both sides to reach agreement quickly on the bill to allow preparations for the referenda to begin.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the final report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Turks and Caicos Islands to be published; what timetable he has set for responding to that report; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: I hope to make a statement to the House on the Commission of Inquiry's final report shortly, explaining when the Governor intends to publish the report and the action necessary.

Uganda: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on progress on peace negotiations between the Lord's Resistance Army and the government of Uganda.

Ivan Lewis: The Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) agreed a peace settlement, the Final Peace Agreement (FPA), in April 2008 after almost two years of negotiations mediated by the Government of Southern Sudan. The leader of the LRA, Joseph Kony, refused to sign the FPA, most recently in November 2008, in the absence of a guarantee of immunity from prosecution at the International Criminal Court. LRA activity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Southern Sudan, including abductions and attacks on civilians, have continued in the interim.
	The Governments of Uganda, the DRC and the Government of Southern Sudan began joint military action against the LRA in December 2008. The Government of Uganda has stated that it remains committed to the FPA but is not prepared to re-open negotiation of the terms of the agreement with the LRA. There are no negotiations currently in train.

Zimbabwe

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries on the political situation in Zimbabwe; and what assessment he has made of the proposal to convene a SADC extraordinary summit to discuss the matter.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last discussed Zimbabwe with his then South African counterpart, Mrs. Dlamini-Zuma, at a meeting in London on 6 March 2009. My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown is in regular contact with Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries on Zimbabwe, most recently in the margins of the World Economic Forum meeting in Cape Town on 11 June 2009.
	SADC, as a guarantor of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) conducted as the Inclusive Government was formed, has a key role to play in ensuring compliance with its provisions. How to respond to any specific appeal that it may have received from the Movement for Democratic Change is clearly a matter for SADC itself, though we would hope that it would do so resolutely.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Postal Votes

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the merits of the use of a standard form of ballot paper for postal voting in elections.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it is currently developing a set of UK-wide standards on the accessibility, design and usability of ballot papers and associated stationery including postal voting materials. The Commission will publish its standards in autumn 2009.

Postal Votes: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what information the Electoral Commission holds on the proportion of postal votes spoiled in each ward in Lancashire County Council in the 2009 county council elections.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it is not possible to provide information about the proportion of postal votes which are spoiled, because ballot papers which have been returned by post are mixed with ballot papers from polling stations before they are counted.
	The table provides information on the proportion of ballot papers counted in each division of Lancashire county council at the 2009 elections which were deemed to have been spoiled. Returning officers are not required to report information about the proportion of returned postal votes which were rejected because of a missing or incomplete postal voting statement until 25 days after polling day. The Commission will include an analysis of rejected postal votes in its report on the June 2009 elections in October 2009.
	
		
			  Division  Proportion (percentage) 
			 Accrington North 2.6 
			 Accrington South 0.5 
			 Accrington West 3.1 
			 Amounderness 1.1 
			 Bamber Bridge and Walton-le-Dale 1.7 
			 Brierfield and Nelson North 1.8 
			 Burnley Central East 0.7 
			 Burnley Central West 0.6 
			 Burnley North East 0.5 
			 Burnley Rural 0.7 
			 Burnley South West 2.3 
			 Chorley East 0.5 
			 Chorley North 0.5 
			 Chorley Rural East 1.3 
			 Chorley Rural North 1.2 
			 Chorley Rural West 2.6 
			 Chorley South 1.7 
			 Chorley West 3.5 
			 Clitheroe 1.8 
			 Farington 1.3 
			 Fleetwood East 0.5 
			 Fleetwood West 0.6 
			 Fylde East 0.6 
			 Fylde South 0.5 
			 Fylde West 0.3 
			 Garstang 0.5 
			 Great Harwood 0.9 
			 Heysham 0.7 
			 Lancaster Central 0.4 
			 Lancaster East 1.0 
			 Lancaster Rural East 0.6 
			 Lancaster Rural North 0.6 
			 Lancaster South East 0.4 
			 Leyland Central 1.2 
			 Leyland South West 1.5 
			 Longridge with Bowland 1.1 
			 Lytham 0.5 
			 Morecambe North 1.3 
			 Morecambe South 0.9 
			 Morecambe West 1.1 
			 Nelson South 0.4 
			 Ormskirk West 0.0 
			 Oswaldtwistle 3.3 
			 Padiham and Burnley West 0.7 
			 Pendle Central 0.5 
			 Pendle East 0.2 
			 Pendle West 0.5 
			 Penwortham North 0.6 
			 Penwortham South 2.2 
			 Poulton-le-Fylde 0.6 
			 Preston Central North 0.4 
			 Preston Central South 0.8 
			 Preston City 0.8 
			 Preston East 0.7 
			 Preston North 1.0 
			 Preston North East 0.7 
			 Preston North West 1.6 
			 Preston Rural 0.6 
			 Preston South East 1.2 
			 Preston West 1.0 
			 Ribble Valley North East 0.8 
			 Ribble Valley South West 0.6 
			 Rishton and Clayton-le-Moors 2.4 
			 Rossendale East 0.4 
			 Rossendale North 0.6 
			 Rossendale South 1.9 
			 Rossendale West 0.6 
			 Skelmersdale Central 0.7 
			 Skelmersdale East 1.2 
			 Skelmersdale West 0.6 
			 Skerton 0.6 
			 South Ribble Rural East 1.8 
			 South Ribble Rural West 0.4 
			 St. Annes North 0.4 
			 St. Annes South 0.4 
			 Thornton Cleveleys Central 0.6 
			 Thornton Cleveleys North 0.7 
			 West Craven 0.5 
			 West Lancashire East 0.9 
			 West Lancashire North 0.9 
			 West Lancashire South 1.1 
			 West Lancashire West 0.3 
			 Whitworth 0.8 
			 Wyreside 0.9

CABINET OFFICE

Cancer

John Howell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cases of cancer have been diagnosed in  (a) England and  (b) each ward of Henley constituency in each year since 2000.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated June 2009:
	.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2006. Numbers of newly diagnosed cases of cancer for the years 2000 to 2006 for (a) England and for (b) each ward of Henley constituency are in Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Registration of newly diagnosed cases of cancer( 1) : England, and each ward( 2)  of Henley parliamentary constituency, 2000 to 2006 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 England 229,339 232,575 230,208 234,434 239,273 241,974 242,184 
			 
			 Henley constituency 434 469 450 458 458 480 466 
			 
			  Wards of Henley constituency
			 Aston Rowant 13 11 5 11 13 10 12 
			 Benson 26 22 25 25 18 24 22 
			 Berinsfield 13 30 21 28 35 26 38 
			 Chalgrove 11 13 12 15 14 5 12 
			 Chiltem Woods 19 15 17 11 20 17 10 
			 Chinnor 35 30 23 29 30 32 26 
			 Crowmarsh 12 7 6 15 17 6 13 
			 Forest Hill and Holton 13 19 15 17 10 25 10 
			 Garsington 21 19 12 16 6 12 20 
			 Goring 30 39 35 40 24 51 36 
			 Great Milton 12 25 14 22 13 11 12 
			 Henley North 37 26 35 35 37 41 22 
			 Henley South 30 32 32 31 36 34 36 
			 Sanford 9 23 17 7 13 13 22 
			 Shiplake 29 24 30 25 37 16 26 
			 Sonning Common 22 31 34 26 21 33 27 
			 Thame North 19 23 13 19 26 21 24 
			 Thame South 21 16 22 22 28 25 30 
			 Watlington 27 24 34 26 20 24 29 
			 Wheatly 25 29 36 25 29 37 29 
			 Woodcote 10 11 12 13 11 17 10 
			 (1) All cancers, coded to C00-C97 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (C44). (2) Both the parliamentary constituency and the wards are based on boundaries as of 2008.  Source:  Office for National Statistics.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer of 17 November 2008,  Official Report, column 244W, on Ministerial policy advisers, how much was spent on severance payments to special advisers in each year prior to 2007-08 for which records are held.

Angela Smith: Since 2002-03, the Government have published information about the numbers and cost of special advisers, including the cost of severance payments. The total cost of severance payments to special advisers in each year from 2002-03 to 2006-07 is set out as follows.
	
		
			
			 2002-03 92,686 
			 2003-04 85,329 
			 2004-05 78,624 
			 2005-06 955,895 
			 2006-07 171,521 
		
	
	As has been the practice of successive administrations, severance payments to special advisers are made in line with the contractual provisions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers.

Departmental Security

Nick Harvey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many members of the Cabinet Office's security staff have  (a) been suspended,  (b) been dismissed and  (c) resigned in the last eight months; and for what reasons in each case.

Angela Smith: It is Cabinet Office policy not to provide information which risks identifying individual members of staff.

Government Departments: ICT

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of computers in Government departments run  (a) Microsoft Office software,  (b) Open Office software and  (c) other open source office software.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not held centrally and could not be collected without disproportionate cost.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Dai Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many non-departmental public bodies have been  (a) established and  (b) abolished since May 1997.

Angela Smith: Information on non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) is published in the annual Cabinet Office Public Bodies report. Copies are available from the Libraries of the House. Public Bodies 2008 reports that the total number of NDPBs fell by around 8 per cent. since 1997from 857 to 790 in 2008.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships, with particular reference to apprenticeships within the automotive industry.

Kevin Brennan: This Department and the Department for Children, Schools and Families currently fund Apprenticeships for adults and young people in a number of occupations in the automotive industry in England. Apprenticeships will play a key role in our response to the current economic downturn. Earlier in the year my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced a 140 million package to provide an extra 35,000 Apprenticeship places over the coming year in both the public and private sectors to help boost the country's competitiveness.
	Last month we announced that businesses across the country with a proven track record of delivering Apprenticeships would share 11 million to create 3,000 new places by employing apprentices over and above the number they already employ. This will help these businesses support smaller companies in their supply chains. Companies benefiting from this funding include: Scania; Daf Trucks; Ford; BMW; Mercedes Benz; and Jaguar Land Rover.
	Looking to the future, we have set ambitious targets for the growth of the Apprenticeships programme. Apprenticeships provisions are being taken forward as part of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, including provisions to ensure that an Apprenticeship place is available for all suitably qualified young people by 2013.

Apprentices

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships were awarded to individuals subsequently discovered to be illegal immigrants in the last year for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: All apprentices must be entitled to work in the UK in order to take up an apprenticeship and, as with any employment, it is the employer's responsibility to check all prospective employees' entitlement to work in the UK, or they risk breaking the law.
	Neither this Department nor the UK Border Agency collect information of this nature, therefore no figures are available.

Apprentices: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point commenced level 2 apprenticeships in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: Table 1 shows the number of Level 2 apprenticeship starts in both Essex local authority and Castle Point parliamentary constituency for each of the last five academic years.
	
		
			  Table 1: Apprenticeship Starts 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Castle Point 220 220 220 210 250 
			 Essex 3,200 3,000 2,900 3,100 3,600 
			  Notes: 1. Area is based on learner's home postcode. 2. Figures for parliamentary constituency have been rounded to the nearest 10, figures for local authority have been rounded to the nearest 100.  Source:  Work-Based Learning ILR

Apprentices: Local Government

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 May 2009,  Official Report, column 599W, on apprentices: local government, how many  (a) apprentices and  (b) advanced apprentices are employed by each local authority.

Kevin Brennan: We do not hold centrally data on the number of apprentices employed by each local authority. The Government are committed to developing and expanding apprenticeships in the public sector and earlier this year Cabinet colleagues announced plans for the expansion of the apprenticeships scheme across the public sector. We announced a 140 million package to deliver 35,000 extra places this year of which 21,000 would be in the public sector.

Apprentices: Public Sector

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many public sector apprenticeships have been started in  (a) Stockport and  (b) Tameside local authority area since 2005.

Kevin Brennan: We do not hold centrally data on the number of apprentices employed by each local authority. The Government are committed to developing and expanding apprenticeships in the public sector and earlier this year Cabinet colleagues announced plans for the expansion of the apprenticeships scheme across the public sector. We announced a 140 million package to deliver 35,000 extra places this year of which 21,000 would be in the public sector.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons the Learning and Skills Council has not taken decisions on colleges' capital programme in accordance with its originally planned timetable; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 17 June 2009
	As set out by the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) acting chief executive, Geoff Russell, in his letter of 2 June, many more colleges have put forward a case for their projects to be considered as shovel ready than expected, and so unfortunately the LSC was not in a position to ask its June Council to approve individual projects.
	Mr. Russell has, however, stated that an announcement will be made by the end of this month as to which projects will go through to the next stage of the prioritisation process.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria the Learning and Skills Council uses to determine which further education colleges receive funding for building projects from the 300 million capital fund announced in Budget 2009.

Kevin Brennan: In line with Sir Andrew Foster's recommendations, the Learning and Skills Council consulted on the best approach to prioritise projects.
	The first stage of prioritisation will be 'readiness'. Projects which pass through the readiness gateway will then be assessed against the other following prioritisation criteria:
	Education and skills impact
	Contribution to local economic and regeneration priorities
	Co-dependency with 3(rd) parties
	Condition of estate
	Value for money
	We expect to announce which projects will be taken forward during this spending review period in the summer.

Education: Procurement

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to promote the uptake of collaborative procurement strategies within universities and further education colleges, as recommended in HM Treasury's May 2009 review, Operational Efficiency Programme: collaborative procurement.

David Lammy: As part of our drive to ensure value for money, we have worked through our key delivery partners to support higher education institutions and further education colleges in delivering greater efficiencies. That includes using consortia at local, regional and national level to procure goods and services collaboratively. This has already been successful over a number of years. Further Education Colleges have already made savings of over 70 million and Higher Education Institutions delivered efficiencies of over 100 million as a result of improvements in procurement. We will continue to promote the benefits of collaborative procurement, while respecting the independence of individual institutions.

Further Education: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effects on students in North Yorkshire of the recent changes to the budget of the Learning and Skills Council.

Kevin Brennan: Students in North Yorkshire and elsewhere have already benefited from the increase in investment for further education of 53 per cent. in real terms since 1997. Recent changes which will affect LSC budgets were announced in Budget 2009. The Budget made available an additional 300 million of further education capital spending and 122 million to support extra training in England for young people who have been unemployed for 12 months. As part of DCSF-funded activity, there will be 655 million to support over 54,000 more young people to take up a guaranteed place at school or college. As part of Budget 2009, the Government committed to delivering an additional 5 billion of efficiency savings in 2010-11. The then Secretary of State for DIUS wrote to the LSC on 7 May setting out expectations on the contribution to those efficiencies from post-19 further education provision. Taking into account these changes, the LSC will see an estimated overall increase in resources for frontline teaching, learning and learner support services for post-19 learners of around 140 million between 2009-10 and 2010-11. We expect learners in North Yorkshire to benefit from these changes. Funding allocations for 2009-10 post-19 provision are currently being finalised and will be completed later this month.

Gambling: Competition

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received from UK leisure and gaming businesses on the  (a) level of competition in the online gambling sector in the EU and  (b) effects on them of differences between the regulatory systems operated by individual EU member states in relation to online gambling.

Kevin Brennan: This Department has not received any such recent representations from the UK leisure and gaming businesses.

Higher Education: Cambridgeshire

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students resident in North West Cambridgeshire constituency were in higher education in each of the last 10 years.

David Lammy: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the following table. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available in January 2010.
	
		
			  Enrolments( 1)  from North West Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency( 2)  UK higher education institutionsAcademic years 1998/99 to 2007/08 
			  Academic year  North West Cambridgeshire enrolments 
			 1998/99 2,250 
			 1999/2000 2,380 
			 2000/01 2,390 
			 2001/02 2,515 
			 2002/03 2,510 
			 2003/04 2,850 
			 2004/05 2,965 
			 2005/06 2,985 
			 2006/07 2,740 
			 2007/08 2,930 
			 (1) Covers undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled on full-time and part-time courses. (2) Parliamentary constituency is defined by full and valid home postcodes recorded on the HESA student record.  Note: Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Higher Education: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students resident in Peterborough constituency were in higher education in each of the last 10 years.

David Lammy: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the table. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available in January 2010.
	
		
			  Enrolments( 1)  from Peterborough parliamentary constituency( 2 ) UK higher education institutions academic years 1998/99 to 2007/08 
			  Academic year  Peterborough enrolments 
			 1998/99 2,015 
			 1999/2000 2,090 
			 2000/01 2,120 
			 2001/02 2,130 
			 2002/03 2,080 
			 2003/04 2,255 
			 2004/05 2,350 
			 2005/06 2,290 
			 2006/07 2,195 
			 2007/08 2,310 
			 (1) Covers undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled on full-time and part-time courses. (2) Parliamentary constituency is defined by full and valid home postcodes recorded on the HESA student record.  Note: Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Jaguar Land Rover

Peter Luff: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to conclude his discussions with Jaguar Land Rover on loan guarantees from the Automotive Assistance Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: The Department is actively pursuing this issue with Jaguar Land Rover's parent Tata Motors as a priority with a view to reaching a conclusion as soon as possible.

Learning and Skills Council: Consultants

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Learning and Skills Council has spent on consultants in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The Department does not hold this level of information. The Learning and Skills Council makes decisions about the employment of consultants based upon its own business needs. Geoff Russell, the Council's acting chief executive, will write to the hon. Gentleman with further information. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Learning and Skills Council: Finance

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria are used by the Learning and Skills Council to allocate funding to local authorities.

Kevin Brennan: Where local authorities are providers in their own right, they will receive a funding allocation from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to deliver provision in line with funding allocated to all other providers.
	Funding allocations for adult learner responsive (ALR) and employer responsive (ER) provision are calculated according to a national funding formula. This formula calculates funding using the volume of learning that the provider delivers at an agreed national funding rate. The formula also takes account of factors specific to the providersuch as the curriculum that it offers, and the proportion of students coming from areas of disadvantage.
	Local authorities deliver the majority of the 210 million that is safeguarded annually for informal adult learning. This learning is not formula-funded, but is commissioned through a negotiated process with each local authority. It is a block grant to deliver an agreed volume of provision. The LSC uses final outturn data returns for previous years and in-year estimate data in order to agree learner numbers to be funded for the following year.

Learning and Skills Council: Finance

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how much funding was allocated to local authorities through the Learning and Skills Council as part of the most recent Comprehensive Spending Review over the period of the review;
	(2)  how much funding has been allocated to local authorities through the Learning and Skills Council for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

Kevin Brennan: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) allocates funding to learning providersincluding school sixth forms, FE colleges, independent providers and local authoritieswhere those providers are approved to deliver publicly-funded further education and skills for learners aged 16 or over. Funding is allocated in respect of an academic year, but the actual amounts paid will depend on demand from individuals and employers.
	Funding allocations data for all LSC-funded providers are available on the LSC website:
	www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/funding-policy/allocations
	These data show that in 2007/08 academic year, over 410 million was allocated to local authorities; the allocation in 2008/09 was over 370 million. Allocations for 2009/10 are still being finalised.
	The majority of the 210 million that is safeguarded annually for informal adult learning is delivered through local authorities, and therefore comprises a significant proportion of their funding allocations (around 200 million a year over 2007/08 and 2008/09 academic years). The rest of the funding they receive supports adult learner responsive provision as well as training in the workplace (Train to Gain and apprenticeships) for both adults and young people.

Learning and Skills Council: Manpower

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) directors,  (b) senior managers,  (c) specialist and delivery managers and  (d) executive support and administration staff there were in each Learning and Skills Council office in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The Department does not hold this level of information. Geoff Russell, the Learning and Skills Council acting chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information he has requested. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Local Press

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what timetable the Office of Fair Trading has set for its review of local newspapers.

Kevin Brennan: Following its review of the local media merger regime, the OFT submitted a summary of its findings and recommendations to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for it to consider as part of the Digital Britain report. These findings and recommendations, and the OFT's full report, will be published alongside the final Digital Britain report shortly.

Overseas Students: Fees and Charges

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the monetary value of overseas student  (a) fees and  (b) spending to the economy.

David Lammy: holding answer 19 June 2009
	The latest estimates, taken from the Global Value report published by the British Council in September 2007, are that international students in further and higher education were estimated to contribute 2.2 billion in tuition fees and 3.1 billion in other spending in 2003-04. Tuition and other spending in relation to students on English language courses was estimated at 1.1 billion.

Personal Care Services: Training

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department funds training programmes which provide skills relevant to the beauty treatment and tanning sector; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Funding for further education and skills is administered by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold a comprehensive database of learning aims that are eligible for LSC funding; this falls within the remit of the LSC. Beauty therapy is one of the learning aims that are eligible for LSC funding, and a variety of courses fall within the beauty therapy framework.
	The LSC agrees indicative budgets with colleges and providers prior to the start of the academic year based on the expected delivery of an overall volume of learning. The actual funding paid will depend on the choice of learning area made by employers and learners. As funding is not allocated at an individual course level, details of the amount made available to support specific qualifications in this sector are not held centrally in the Department.

Steel: Prices

James Gray: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if the Secretary of State will make it his policy to support small businesses affected by the changes in the price of steel.

Ian Lucas: Due a significant fall in demand, steel prices have dropped sharply from the peaks seen in the summer of 2008. Changes in prices are the natural consequence of market forces and as such it would not be right for the Government to interfere in the market in any way. However, if there was firm evidence that anti-competitive or unfair trade practices were the cause then we would press the European Commission to take action.
	Since the start of the year the Government have introduced a range of measures to help increase liquidity and ease credit conditions for small businesses. This is real help that is focused and funded. It is help that has only been made possible due to the fiscal stimulus offered by the Government in the PBR. We have recapitalised the banks, agreed to underwrite more than 20 billion worth of credit lines and lending and tailored a package of bank measuresincluding a new 50 billion Bank of England facility for purchasing high quality assetsto get bad assets out into the daylight and help lending flow again.

Students: Finance

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effects on students in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point of the recent changes to the budget of the Learning and Skills Council.

Kevin Brennan: Students in Essex and elsewhere have already benefited from the increase in investment for further education of 53 per cent. in real terms since 1997. Recent changes which will affect LSC budgets were announced in Budget 2009. The Budget made available an additional 300 million of further education capital spending and 122 million to support extra training in England for young people who have been unemployed for 12 months. As part of DCSF-funded activity, there will be 655 million to support over 54,000 more young people to take up a guaranteed place at school or college. As part of Budget 2009, the Government committed to delivering an additional 5 billion of efficiency savings in 2010-11. The then Secretary of State for DIUS wrote to the LSC on 7 May setting out expectations on the contribution to those efficiencies from post-19 further education provision. Taking into account these changes, the LSC will see an estimated overall increase in resources for frontline teaching, learning and learner support services for post-19 learners of around 140 million between 2009-10 and 2010-11. We expect students in Essex and the Castle Point area to benefit from this increase. Funding allocations for 2009/10 post-19 provision are currently being finalised and will be completed later this month.

Students: Loans

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people have  (a) applied for and  (b) received a career development loan to train to become (i) a driving instructor and (ii) a teacher in each of the last five years.

Si�n Simon: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) administer Career Development Loans (CDLs) on behalf of the Department. Details of the number of loans awarded for approved driver instructor and teacher training courses for the last five years are set out in the following tables. Information on the number of loans applied for is not collected.
	Courses undertaken using a CDL are the personal choice of the individual taking out the loan. Changes in annual numbers undertaking any particular type of course, such as driving instruction, are a reflection of changing trends in individual career aspirations of those applying for loans.
	
		
			  Approved driving instructor courses 
			   Number 
			 2007-08 327 
			 2006-07 759 
			 2005-06 1,756 
			 2004-05 2,327 
			 2003-04 3,242 
		
	
	
		
			  Teacher training coursespost graduate certificate in education 
			   Number 
			 2007-08 0 
			 2006-07 5 
			 2005-06 5 
			 2004-05 11 
			 2003-04 4

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Absenteeism: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many parents in Peterborough have appeared in court on charges related to the unauthorised absence from school of their child in the last (i) six, (ii) 12 and (iii) 24 months.

Vernon Coaker: The Ministry of Justice collects and publishes data for England and Wales on prosecutions brought against parents under the Education Act 1996 for the offence under s444(1) of failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school; and for prosecutions under s444(1A), the aggravated offence of knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly. It is possible, because of the way courts record data, that some section 444 data is also collected under the more general heading of various offences under the Education Act 1996.
	The Ministry of Justice collects prosecution data on the basis of police force areas only and not local authority area. Cambridgeshire police force area covers Peterborough and the number of parents prosecuted for failing to secure their children's regular school attendance between 2006 to 2007 (latest available data) is detailed in the following table. Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' courts for offences under the Education Act 1996 S.444( 1) , in Cambridgeshire police force area, 2006 07( 2,3) 
			   Number 
			 2006 40 
			 2007 44 
			 (1) Includes the following; (a) Failure to secure regular attendance at school. (Education Act 1996 S.444 (1 )(8)). (b) Parent knows that their child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school. (Education Act 1996 S.444(8)(1a)(8a) added by Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 S.72). (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Evidence and Analysis Unit - Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Ministry of Justice

Apprentices: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many hours a week on average 16 to 18 year-olds spent on apprenticeships in each industrial sector in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point in the latest period for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: Apprenticeships for young people are normally full-time and the hours that each individual spends on their framework each week are a matter for the apprentice and their employer. Some apprentices work part-time. Information about the number of hours that apprentices work and train each week is not collected centrally. We have recently consulted on a Specification for Apprenticeship Standards in England including a proposal to set a minimum number of guided learning hours per year for all apprentices. Following consideration of the responses, we expect to publish the Specification for Apprenticeship Standards in England in August.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost was of each Building Schools for the Future project completed in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: A total of 44 school projects (of which three were primary schools procured through the Newcastle local education partnership) were completed in the calendar year 2008, each benefiting from investment as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme. The table shows the level of capital funding provided to each school project. Local authorities may have supplemented this with additional funding from other sources. Commercially sensitive actual cost data is held on the Partnerships for Schools cost benchmarking database, but release of project-level data may prejudice future public sector negotiations with the private sector.
	
		
			  Local authority  School  Capital funding (including ICT) ( million)  New build/refurb  Notes 
			 Lambeth Park Campus 6.2 New build  
			 Newcastle Kenton School 2.8 ICT only BSF funding for ICT only 
			 Solihull Park Hall School 24.4 New build PFI scheme 
			 Sheffield Yewlands Technology College 16.8 Refurb (two phases)  
			 Solihull Archbishop Grimshaw Catholic School 24.5 New build  
			 Derby City Sinfin Community School 16.5 New build BSF One School Pathfinder 
			 Cornwall Penryn College 22.8 New build BSF One School Pathfinder 
			 South Tyneside and Gateshead Kings Meadow School 1.3 ICT only BSF funding for ICT only 
			 Leeds Cockburn College of Arts 17.0 New build  
			 Bradford Titus Salt School 25.0 New build PFI scheme 
			 Bradford Tong High School 24.8 New build PFI scheme 
			 Bradford Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College 27.9 New build PFI scheme 
			 Bristol Brislington Enterprise College 32.9 New build PFI scheme 
			 Lancashire Thomas Whitham Sixth Form, Burnley Campus 15.4 New build PFI scheme 
			 Lancashire Pendle Vale College, Pendle Vale Campus 8.4 New build PFI scheme 
			 Lancashire Pendle Community High School, Pendle Vale Campus 19.0 New build PFI scheme 
			 Lancashire Shuttleworth College 18.9 New build PFI scheme 
			 Leeds Allerton High School 21.5 New build PFI scheme 
			 Leeds Pudsey Grangefield School 21.1 New build PFI scheme 
			 Leeds Rodillian School 23.2 New build PFI scheme 
			 Leeds Temple Moor High School 13.6 New build  
			 Manchester Newall Green High School 15.9 New build and refurb  
			 Manchester Cedar Mount High School, Gorton Education Village 16.4 New build and refurb  
			 Manchester Melland High School, Gorton Education Village 9.7 New build  
			 Manchester St. Paul's School 15.7 New build and refurb  
			 Newcastle Benfield School (phase 1 of refurb) 16.8 Refurb  
			 Newcastle Walbottle Campus Technology College 31.0 New build PFI scheme 
			 Solihull Lanchester School 7.3 New build PFI scheme 
			 Waltham Forest Frederick Bremer School 18.9 New build PFI scheme 
			 Waltham Forest Kelmscott School 12.4 New build and refurb  
			 South Tyneside and Gateshead Boldon School 1.5 ICT only BSF funding for ICT only 
			 South Tyneside and Gateshead Lord Lawson Of Beamish School 2.1 ICT only BSF funding for ICT only 
			 Newcastle Thomas Bewick School 0.6 ICT only BSF funding for ICT only 
			 Bristol Bristol Metropolitan College 26.6 New build PFI scheme 
			 Kent Ifield School 7.8 New build  
			 Lambeth The Michael Tippett School 11.9 New build  
			 Stoke Sandon High School 16.2 New build  
			 Lewisham New Woodlands School 0.2 ICT only BSF funding for ICT only 
			 Lewisham Greenvale School 0.2 ICT only BSF funding for ICT only 
			 Lewisham Forest Hill School 1.0 ICT only BSF funding for ICT only 
			 Lewisham PrendergastLadywell Fields College 0.9 ICT only BSF funding for ICT only 
		
	
	In addition three primary schools were procured through the Newcastle BSF local education partnership.

Chemistry: GCE A-level

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1073W, on GCE A-level, how many and what percentage of the 187 schools that did not enter any pupils for an A-level in chemistry in 2006-07 entered at least one pupil for an A-level in applied science in that year.

Vernon Coaker: Of the 187 maintained mainstream schools that did not enter any pupils for an A-level in chemistry in 2006/07, 22 (12 per cent.) entered at least one candidate for a single or double award A-level in applied science in the same year.

Children In Care: Missing Persons

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2009,  Official Report, column 1067W, how many of the children who have gone missing from care have not been found;
	(2)  what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of children who go missing from care homes.

Dawn Primarolo: Following a consultation, the Government plan to publish revised statutory guidance about children missing from home or care shortly. This will set out the steps that must be followed whenever any child in care goes missing. This includes the local authority working with partner agencies such as the police, so that there is a systematic response whenever a child in care goes missing from their care placement.
	The National Minimum Standards for Children's Homes and Fostering Services require that all homes and fostering services should have explicit procedures to follow when children in their care may be missing or absent. We will be strengthening these Standards later this year and will include more specific guidance on action which should be taken when a child goes missing from a residential or foster home.
	The Government have also launched the Young Runaways Action Plan. This brings together cross- Government action on children who run away from home or care and places particular emphasis on vulnerable children such as those who have been trafficked. More generally, a national indicator on young runaways, introduced in April this year, now requires LAs to have in place protocols for the inter-agency response to run-aways and missing children, including preventative measures.
	The requested information on the number of children who have gone missing from care who have not been found is not held centrally by the Department. It is not possible to derive the number of children missing from care who have never been found, because we can only account for the situation at the end of the last completed data collection year. Children missing at the end of the data year may subsequently return into care. Information on looked after children can be found in Statistical First Release Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008, which is available on the Department's website via the following link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000810/index.shtml
	Table A3 shows the number looked after at 31 March each year by their placement type at 31 March, which includes a category to show those looked after who were absent from their agreed placement at that time. At 31 March 2008, the number absent from their agreed placement was 150.

Children: Databases

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much had been spent on ContactPoint on the latest date for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 27 March 2009
	Expenditure on the ContactPoint Project from 2005-06 to 31 March 2009 is forecast to be 167.2 million, including 2.2 million of pre-project costs.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to recommence data feeding from national systems into ContactPoint.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 27 April 2009
	Data feed from national systems will re-commence once all local authority ContactPoint management teams have been given access to ContactPoint.

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people have contacted Ofsted's safeguarding children whistleblower hotline since its inception.

Dawn Primarolo: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, 15 June 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	A total of 329 nine calls have been made to Ofsted's safeguarding children whistleblower hotline since its inception on 1 April 2009. The majority of these were queries about childcare registration issues. However, 11 of these calls qualified under the Whistleblower procedures and have been handled accordingly. Three calls were received in April, five in May and a further three between 1 and 12 June 2009.
	Any which relate to the safeguarding of individual children are forwarded to our Compliance, Investigation and Enforcement section (CIE), who will take action to ensure that the safety of the child concerned is secured.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to right hon. Dawn Primarolo MP, Minister for State for Children, Young People and Families, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.

Class Sizes

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were taught in classes of more than 30 pupils in each local authority area in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.
	The table supplied shows the numbers of pupils in classes of 31 or more, where the class is taught by one teacher for primary and secondary schools combined. Latest figures for classes taught by more than one teacher can be found on the departmental website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000786/LATablesWeb.xls
	(tables B12 and B14).

Family Courts: Personnel

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service employees over the age of 65 years have been refused contract extensions in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) has not refused any contract extensions for employees over the age of 65 years in the last 12 months.

Further Education: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children resident in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point were in further education (i) in 1997 and (ii) on the latest date for which information is available.

Iain Wright: The information requested is shown in the table for Essex local education authority(LEA). This information is not available below LEA level.
	
		
			  Proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds( 1)  in Essex LEA in education and Work Based Learning 
			  Percentage 
			   End 1997  End 2007 
			  Full-time further education   
			 Age 16 71 75 
			 Age 17 57 62 
			 All aged 16 and 17 64 69 
			
			  All education and Work Based Learning   
			 Age 16 80 83 
			 Age 17 69 72 
			 All aged 16 and 17 74 78 
			 (1) The age of a learner is measured at the beginning of the academic year, 31 August.  Source: Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000849/index.shtml

GCE A-Level

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of maintained mainstream schools did not enter any pupils for an A level in English in each year since 2005.

Vernon Coaker: The information is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of maintained mainstream schools that did not enter any pupils for a GCE A level in English  Percentage of maintained mainstream schools that did not enter any pupils for a GCE A level in English 
			 2005 38 2.2 
			 2006 31 1.8 
			 2007 32 1.8 
			 2008 22 1.3 
			  Note: Only schools published in the AATs have been included.  Source:  School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables (AAT) data.

GCSE

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what proportion of pupils achieved five GCSEs at grades A* to B in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what proportion of pupils achieved five GCSEs at grade A* to B in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The information is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils achieving five or more A*-B grades at GCSE 
			   Percentage 
			 1996/97 25.6 
			 1997/98 24.9 
			 1998/99 26.1 
			 1999/00 26.9 
			 2000/01 27.0 
			 2001/02 27.6 
			 2002/03 27.5 
			 2003/04 27.7 
			 2004/05 29.1 
			 2005/06 29.6 
			 2006/07 30.0 
			 2007/08 32.7 
			  Note: Figures include achievements in full GCSEs and vocational GCSEs.  Source:  Achievement and Attainment Tables data. 
		
	
	Figures prior to 2004/05 relate to 15-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August) in all schools. Figures for 2004/05 onwards relate to pupils at the end of Key Stage 4.

GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of maintained mainstream schools did not enter any pupils for a GCSE in  (a) geography and  (b) history in 2008.

Vernon Coaker: Of all the mainstream maintained schools, 133 (4.3 per cent.) did not enter any pupils for GCSE geography in 2008.
	Of all the mainstream maintained schools, 96 (3.1 per cent.) did not enter any pupils for GCSE history in 2008.
	Data relate to pupils at the end of KS4 and include GCSE only.

GCSE

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  in how many and what proportion of mainstream maintained schools no pupil has achieved a grade of G or above in GCSE history in each year since 1997;
	(2)  in how many and what proportion of mainstream maintained schools no pupil has achieved a grade of C or above in GCSE history in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 17 June 2009
	The information for 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2008 is given in the tables. Figures for other years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In order to protect confidentiality, it is usual and accepted practice to only give achievement and attainment performance information for schools with more than 10 pupils in the particular category (in this case, more than 10 pupils entered for GCSE history). However, as no schools are named, it is possible to simply give a count of the number of schools. It would not be possible to name schools with fewer that 10 pupils in the particular category.
	
		
			  Mainstream maintained schools in which no pupil achieved a grade C or above in GCSE history 
			 All schools 
			   Number of schools with more than 10 pupils attempting GCSE history  Number of schools with 10 or fewer pupils attempting GCSE history  Number  Percentage 
			 2008 3 139 142 4.9 
			 2006 7 113 120 4.0 
			 2003 10 102 112 3.8 
			 2000 12 94 106 3.6 
			 1997 23 114 137 4.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Mainstream maintained schools in which no pupil achieved a grade G or above in GCSE history 
			 All schools 
			   Number of schools with more than 10 pupils attempting GCSE history  Number of schools with 10 or fewer pupils attempting GCSE history  Number  Percentage 
			 2008 0 134 134 4.6 
			 2006 0 108 108 3.6 
			 2003 0 99 99 3.3 
			 2000 0 87 87 3.0 
			 1997 0 103 103 3.4 
			  Note: 1.These figures are derived from the Achievement and Attainment Tables data. 2. Figures for 2006 and 2008 relate to the achievements of pupils at the end of KS4. Figures for 1997, 2000 and 2003 relate to 15 year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August). 3. Only open schools published in the Achievement and Attainment Tables have been included.

Grammar Schools

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children attended grammar schools in each year since 2007; what proportion of the secondary school population this figure represented in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The requested information is shown in the table:
	
		
			  State-funded secondary( 1)  and grammar schools: number of pupils( 2) as at January each year in England 
			   Number of pupils attending grammar schools  Number of pupils attending secondary schools  Percentage of pupils attending grammar schools( 3) 
			 2007 156,800 3,321,530 4.7 
			 2008 157,410 3,289,000 4.8 
			 2009 (provisional) 158,610 3,256,120 4.9 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed, and CTCs and academies. (2) Solely registered pupils only. (3) Expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils attending all secondary schools.  Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Pre-school Education: Per Capita Costs

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many nursery school places there are per head of population in each local authority area.

Dawn Primarolo: All local authorities in England have a duty to secure sufficient childcare places to meet the requirements of parents in their area in order to enable them to work or undertake education or training leading to work. They must also secure free early years provision for pre-school children of a prescribed age.
	The Department publishes information on the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four year-olds. This is derived by counting children taking up 12 and a half hours per week as one place, 10 hours per week as 0.8 places, seven and a half hours per week as 0.6 places, five hours per week as 0.4 places and two and a half hours per week as 0.2 places.
	The latest information on the number of free early education places filled by three and four year-olds can be found in Table 5 of the Statistical First Release Provision for Children Under Five Years of Age in England: January 2009. The latest figures can be found at the following link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000848/index.shtml
	Information on nursery school places per head of population has not been included. This is because children can access their free entitlement across different local authority areas and therefore part time equivalent places are not on an equivalent basis with the local authority population figures. Population figures at this level of disaggregation are also not as reliable as at the national level.

Pre-school Education: Standards

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) maintained and  (b) independent nurseries in each local authority area were placed in special measures in each year since 2001.

Dawn Primarolo: These are matters for Ofsted. The Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.

Pupils: Obesity

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what training and professional development is provided for teachers of physical education to ensure that children classified as overweight and obese receive appropriate assistance to participate in physical activity at school.

Iain Wright: The PE and sport professional development programme is raising the quality of teaching and learning in PE and sport in schools. As part of the programme, schools are supported in carrying out an audit of their professional development needs in PE and sport. Schools can then choose, free of charge, from a menu of professional development resources designed to address these needs. The programme includes resources aimed specifically at getting young people more active, whatever their circumstances. The recent Ofsted report - Physical Education in Schools, 2005/08 praised the Professional Development programme for the way it was improving the quality of teaching and learning in PE and sport in schools.
	As announced in Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: One Year On, the Government are currently exploring the development of a further focus within the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People which specifically helps overweight and obese children to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the funding allocation per secondary school pupil is in  (a) Northamptonshire and  (b) England in 2009-10.

Vernon Coaker: The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) guaranteed per pupil unit of funding (GUF) for 2009-10 for Northamptonshire local authority and England are shown in the following table. There is funding from the Learning and Skills Council and other grants that support the schools budget whose allocations have not yet been finalised for 2009-10. Separate figures are not available for secondary schools as funding is not allocated by phase. The figures are for all funded pupils aged three to 15 and are in cash terms.
	
		
			   2009-10 DSG GUF 
			 Northamptonshire 3,923 
			 England 4,218

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the funding allocation per secondary school pupil is in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point in 2009-10.

Vernon Coaker: The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) guaranteed per pupil unit of funding (GUF) for 2009-10 for Essex local authority is 4,067. This is for all funded pupils aged three to 15 and is in cash terms. There is funding from the Learning and Skills Council and other grants that support the schools budget whose allocations have not yet been finalised for 2009-10. Separate figures are not available for secondary schools as funding is not allocated by phase.

Schools: Buildings

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools operate entirely from (i) temporary and (ii) pre-1919 buildings; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Asset management data were supplied to the Department by local education authorities, most recently in 2005. The data showed 18 per cent. and 8 per cent. of floor area in pre-1919 buildings for primary schools and secondary schools respectively. With the unprecedented levels of central Government capital support for investment in schools, updated information could be expected to show lower percentages.
	The data included information on the amount of accommodation in temporary buildings. However, checks indicated that the completeness and quality of this information was not good enough for accurate analysis.
	Temporary accommodation is appropriate where there is too little time to construct permanent accommodation, or where the need is likely to be short term. In such circumstances, modern, high-quality temporary buildings provide a good environment for teaching and learning. Where they are new or relocated, they are required to meet building environmental standards similar to those which apply to permanent buildings.

Schools: Buildings

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children attend  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools housed in temporary buildings; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Data on school temporary buildings were supplied to the Department by local education authorities, most recently in 2005. However, the data did not show numbers of pupils taught in those buildings. Furthermore, checks indicated that the completeness and quality of the data was not good enough for accurate analysis.
	Temporary accommodation is appropriate where there is too little time to construct permanent accommodation, or where the need is likely to be short term. In such circumstances, modern, high-quality temporary buildings provide a good environment for teaching and learning. Where they are new or relocated, they are required to meet building environmental standards similar to those which apply to permanent buildings.

Schools: Knives

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have been  (a) temporarily and  (b) permanently excluded from schools for (i) violent behaviour and (ii) carrying a knife in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Reasons for exclusion were collected for the first time in 2003-04. There is no category specifically on 'carrying a knife'. There are categories for verbal abuse/threatening behaviour and for physical assault.
	The latest data available are for 2006-07; information on exclusions for 2007-08 is scheduled to be published in the summer.
	Information on reasons for exclusions is published as follows:
	 2006-07
	Tables 9 and 10
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000793/index.shtml
	 2005-06
	Table 8
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgatewav/DB/SFR/s000733/index.shtml
	 2004- 05
	Table 11
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000662/index.shtml
	 2003 - 04
	Table 11
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000582/index.shtml

Schools: Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2009,  Official Report, column 442W, on schools: standards, what the name is of each adviser; and how much each has cost in 2008-09.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 15 June 2009
	We do not have information on each individual adviser, or their cost, and to collect this information would involve disproportionate cost and contravene data protection rules.
	The figure of around 90 million, given in the answer of 2 June, is an estimate of the total cost of field forces which provide support and challenge to local authorities and children's trusts across the full range of children's outcomes. The largest field force supporting school standards is the national strategies and the cost of their national and regional field force in 2008-09 was around 30 million. However, this includes work on other areas such as early years and school behaviour.

Science: GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of pupils educated in maintained mainstream schools achieved a GCSE in core science and no other science qualification in 2008.

Vernon Coaker: Of the pupils at the end of Key Stage 4, educated in maintained mainstream schools, 79443 (13.5 per cent.) achieved a GCSE in core science and no other(1) science qualification in 2008.
	(1) The other sciences that were considered were Double Award Science and Applied Science, Applied Science, Additional Applied Science, Additional Science, Environmental Science, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained mainstream secondary schools  (a) had between one and nine pupils and  (b) 10 or more pupils with a statement of special educational needs at the end of Key Stage 4 in the latest period for which figures are available.

Diana Johnson: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) There were 2,542 maintained mainstream schools at which between one and nine pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 had statements of special educational needs in 2008.
	 (b) There were 234 maintained mainstream schools at which 10 or more pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 had statements of special educational needs in 2008.
	The source of this data is the National Pupil Database.

Specialist Schools: Science

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 10 November 2008,  Official Report, column 900W, on specialist schools: science, how many of the 433 specialist schools which had chosen science as a specialism at the time of that answer entered one or more pupils for GCSE chemistry in 2008.

Vernon Coaker: Of all 433 schools with a specialism in sciences, 311 (71.8 per cent.) entered at least one pupil for GCSE(1) chemistry in 2008.
	The source for this answer is the Achievement and Attainment Tables database.
	(1) Only full GCSEs have been counted.

Teachers: Complaints

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many complaints against teachers have been  (a) investigated,  (b) upheld and  (c) rejected by the General Teaching Council in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The number of complaints against teachers that have been investigated upheld and rejected by the General Teaching Council for England in each year since 2005 are set out in the table.
	
		
			   Investigated  Rejected  Upheld at a hearing 
			 2005 373 244 56 
			 2006 360 267 98 
			 2007 445 311 124 
			 2008 419 315 125 
			  Note: Cases are not always concluded in the year in which they are investigated.

Teachers: Complaints

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the average time taken for the General Teaching Council to complete its investigation of a teacher following a complaint was in the latest period for which information is available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many investigations by the General Teaching Council following a complaint against a teacher took more than  (a) three months,  (b) six months,  (c) 12 months and  (d) 18 months to complete in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: When considering complaints about teachers the General Teaching Council for England has two distinct processes; an investigation process and a hearing process. The investigation process concludes either with a referral to the hearing process or with a decision that there is no case to answer.
	The average time taken for cases to be concluded in each of these processes is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Average time taken to conclude complaints 
			  Weeks 
			  Financial year  Cases concluded at investigation stage (i.e. no case to answer)  Cases concluded following a hearing 
			 2006/07 13 78 
			 2007/08 12 67 
			 2008/09 12 59 
		
	
	The timescales for considering complaints at each of these stages is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Cases concluded at investigating stage 
			  Months 
			   0 to 3  3 to 6  6 to 12  12 to 18  Over 18 
			 2006/07 171 62 16 1 2 
			 2007/08 224 59 13 4 0 
			 2008/09 222 84 11 2 3 
		
	
	
		
			  Cases concluded at hearing stage 
			  Months 
			   0 to 3  3 to 6  6 to 12  12 to 18  Over 18 
			 2006/07 0 0 11 68 44 
			 2007/08 0 2 57 38 40 
			 2008/09 0 1 75 51 24 
			  Note: Data are unavailable for the financial year 2005/06.

Teachers: Complaints

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers have been struck off the teaching register following an investigation by the General Teaching Council in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The number of prohibition orders preventing teachers from practising as a registered teacher issued by the General Teaching Council for England in each year since 2001 is set out in the table.
	
		
			   Number of prohibition orders issued 
			 2001 0 
			 2002 2 
			 2003 6 
			 2004 5 
			 2005 13 
			 2006 24 
			 2007 31 
			 2008 25

Teachers: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) teachers and  (b) classroom assistants were employed in schools in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point (A) in 1997 and (B) on the latest date for which information is available.

Vernon Coaker: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teachers and teaching assistants employed in local authority maintained schools in the former Essex local authority area and Castle Point parliamentary constituency, January 1997 and 2008.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent teachers and teaching assistants in local authority maintained schoolsyears January 1997 and 2008 
			  Coverage: Essex local authority and Castle Point parliamentary constituency 
			 2008 
			   1997  Essex  
			   Former Essex LA areas  Castle Point( 3)  Southend  Thurrock  Essex (post 1 April 1998)  Castle Point( 3) 
			 Teachers(1) 12,580 710 1,740 1,200 11,150 730 
			 Teaching assistants(2,3) 1,720 80 610 590 4,410 280 
			 (1) Qualified and unqualified teachers. (2) Teaching assistants include teaching assistants, special needs support staff and minority ethnic pupil support staff. 2008 figures also include higher level teaching assistants. (3) School Census and the Annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies,618g (Essex teacher numbers).  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Teachers: Males

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  in which wards there are no primary schools with a qualified male teacher;
	(2)  pursuant to his letter of correction of 4 December 2008 to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham, Deposited Paper DEP2008-2997, to the answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 596W, on teachers: males, how many primary schools with no qualified male teachers there were in each ward in 2008.

Vernon Coaker: A table that provides the names of Census Area Statistic (CAS) wards that have nursery or primary schools without any full or part-time male qualified teacher and the number of schools in each of these to which this applies has been placed in the House Libraries. The information is for January 2008.

Teachers: Training

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the  (a) target number of places and  (b) number of places filled for (i) mathematics, (ii) physics and (iii) chemistry teacher trainees at each teacher training institution was in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: The Department sets the number of places for recruitment to initial teacher training (ITT) at sector level. ITT providers are allocated training places based on a bidding process carried out by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) and providers are encouraged to set aspirational recruitment targets for themselves. A table showing the number of allocated places and new entrants to ITT courses in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 has been placed in the House Libraries.

Teaching Assistants: Qualifications

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teaching assistants in each  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school have attained Higher Level Teaching Assistant status.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 4 June 2009
	The information has been placed in the House Libraries. It provides the number of higher level teaching assistants in each local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary school in England, as collected by the January 2008 School Census, the latest information available.

Young People: Greater London

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Young London Matters Agenda launched by the Government Office for London in 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government Office for London (GOL) commissioned an independent stocktake of Young London Matters (YLM) in February 2009. The purpose of the stocktake was to review Young London Matters' focus and impact and enable GOL to make informed decisions about its direction for the coming year. Stakeholders were surveyed in March and April 2009 and asked to comment on what YLM had done well, where it could have improved and what its focus in the coming year should be. We are aiming to publish this in due course.

Youth Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent on MyPlace from the public purse to date; how much has been spent on each MyPlace centre to date; and what estimate he has made of the running costs of each such centre in the next five years.

Dawn Primarolo: We have allocated 240 million to 62 projects to date. A full list showing funding allocations for each of these projects is shown in Annex 1.
	
		
			  Annex 1: grant allocations to MyPlace projects as at 23 June 2009 
			 
			 Pegasus TheatreBuilding the Future Oxfordshire 1,800,000.00 
			 Minehead EYE Somerset 3,155,856.00 
			 Sutton Life Centre Wandsworth 4,074,688.00 
			 Shoeburyness Youth Centre Southend-on-Sea 2,988,362.00 
			 New Life Centre Hartlepool 4,516,000.00 
			 New Horizon Youth Centre Camden 1,500,000.00 
			 Bradley Youth Hub Lancashire 1,335,533.00 
			 PRIMETIME Bournemouth 1,300,000.00 
			 Blackburn Youth Zone Blackburn with Darwen 5,000,000.00 
			 My Place Chesterfield Derbyshire 3,108,226.00 
			 Carlisle Youth Zone Cumbria 4,980,234.00 
			 The Hub Kent 2,200,000.00 
			 Dawlish Youth Centre Devon 1,700,000.00 
			 The Hub Durham 4,951,830.00 
			 TAB Centre Plus Enfield 2,168,228.00 
			 OPEN Central Norfolk 1,256,571.00 
			 Green Rivers Centre Walsall 1,287,183.00 
			 The Young Persons Village Stoke on Trent 4,800,000.00 
			 Access all Areas Somerset 3,922,000.00 
			 Chesterton's Vision Staffordshire 4,389,474.00 
			 Tuned In Redcar and Cleveland 4,946,280.00 
			 Southpointthe Blackpool Youth Hub Centre Blackpool 3,996,049.00 
			 The XCHANGE Project Suffolk 4,750,500.00 
			 Trafford Youth Village Trafford 4,999,951.00 
			 Middlesbrough Myplace at the Custom House Middlesbrough 4,262,062.00 
			 ExtremeConnexions' Hertfordshire 4,999,684.00 
			 Toxteth Youth and Sports Centre Liverpool 2,300,000.00 
			 The HUTOne Hut, Five Towns, Many Talents Wakefield 5,000,000.00 
			 Leicester City Youth Hub Leicester 5,000,000.00 
			 Manchester Youth Zone (Harpurhey) Manchester 5,000,000.00 
			 The Phoenix Centre West Sussex 1,500,000.00 
			 Dream Street Havering 4,704,492.00 
			 TeenSpace Shrewsbury and TeenSpace Oswestry Shropshire 3,900,000.00 
			 Thamesmead Youth Leisure Zone Bexley 5,000,000.00 
			 The YStoke Aldermoor Inspiration Centre Coventry 2,177,748.00 
			 Hastings Youth Hub East Sussex 4,246,275.00 
			 Culture Fusion Bradford 5,000,000.00 
			 MYplace in Solihull Solihull 4,990,000.00 
			 The Showrooom Lincolnshire 4,842,500.00 
			 The Peoples' Place Sheffield 2,144,595.00 
			 The PitchA Place to Go Harrow 4,198,000.00 
			 Integrating Youth Project Birmingham 4,999,802.00 
			 ICE Centre Stockton-on-Tees (Inspiration, Creativity and Entertainment) Stockton-on-Tees 4,995,250.00 
			 MyPlace Bristol Bristol 5,000,000.00 
			 Parkfield Torbay 4,875,000.00 
			 The NGY Nottingham 4,906,000.00 
			 Southside Regeneration Youth Project Bath and North East Somerset 2,036,473.00 
			 OurPlace 'Where there will be more young people than adults' Knowsley 4,999,274.00 
			 The Buzz Halton 2,500,000.00 
			 Myplace@Vine Lane (MP@V) Newcastle-upon-Tyne 4,924,422.00 
			 The Roundwood CentreA Beacon for Young People in Brent Brent 4,997,151.00 
			 Plashet Young Peoples Hub Newham 4,980,000.00 
			 Myplace in Doncaster Doncaster 5,000,000.00 
			 Oldham Youth Zone Oldham 4,994,577.00 
			 The Big Hub Leeds 4,979,376.00 
			 Hinckley Club for Young People Leicestershire 4,505,415.00 
			 The Salmon Youth Centre Phase 2 Southwark 1,118,679.00 
			 Myplace at Westfield Folk House Young Peoples Centre Nottinghamshire 5,000,000.00 
			 Hornsey Road Baths Youth Centre London Borough of Islington 3,547,720.00 
			 Rotherham myplace (RMPworking title) Rotherham 3,356,750.00 
			 Hackney's Youth Hubbz Hackney 4,990,902.00 
			 Youth Centerprise Birmingham 4,998,500.00 
			 Total  240,097,612.00 
		
	
	A further 31.6 million is expected to be allocated to additional projects in December 2009.
	MyPlace is a capital programme and therefore includes no running cost funding. It is a programme that local authorities, third, private and public sector partners and young people work together to plan, deliver and operate financially sustainable projects. As part of the MyPlace assessment process, projects were asked to provide robust plans and commitments for financing ongoing running costs and to ensure long term sustainability. Information on estimated running costs for each MyPlace facility is not currently held centrally.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Consumption

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of  (a) male and  (b) female average weekly alcohol consumption in each of the last 15 years.

Gillian Merron: Information about alcohol consumption is collected as part of the General Household Survey (GHS), including average weekly alcohol consumption.
	The following table gives the average weekly consumption for the last 15 years, broken down by gender. It should be noted that information on average weekly alcohol consumption is not collected every year.
	
		
			  Average weekly alcohol consumption (units), by sex for persons aged 16 and over, 1994-2006 
			   Men  Women 
			  Unweighted   
			 1994 15.4 5.4 
			 1996 16.0 6.3 
			 1998 16.4 6.4 
			  Weighted   
			 1998 17.1 6.5 
			 2000 17.4 7.1 
			 2001 17.2 7.5 
			 2002 17.2 7.6 
			 2005(1) 15.8 6.5 
			 2006(2,3) 14.8 6.2 
			 2006(2,4) 18.7 9.0 
			 (1) 2005 data include last quarter of 2004-05 data due to survey change from financial year to calendar year.  (2) Results for 2006 include longitudinal data.  (3 )Original method.  (4 )Improved method.   Notes:  1. Weighting is a process in which GHS results are adjusted for non-response and to account for differences between the distribution of persons by age and gender; and region in the sample when compared to the population of Great Britain. Weighting is an improvement to the methodology from 1998; however, weighted data are not available before 1998, so cannot be supplied.   Source:  General Household Survey 2006: Smoking and drinking among adults 2006. 
		
	
	An improved method to calculate alcohol consumption was introduced in 2006, this was done to reflect increases in wine glass size, the increased alcoholic strength of wine and better estimates of the alcoholic strengths of beers, lagers and ciders. This is likely to mean that data for the years before 2006 understate consumption levels.

Audio Equipment: Health Hazards

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 746W, on MP3 players, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the findings of the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks on noise from personal music players;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 746W, on MP3 players, what his Department's policy is on the determination of safe levels of noise in relation to the use of personal music players;
	(3)  if he will take steps to increase levels of public awareness of the potential effects on hearing of listening to personal music players at high noise levels; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will take steps to encourage manufacturers of personal MP3 players to provide users of such players with information on levels of noise which may damage hearing; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  whether his Department has had discussions with manufacturers of personal music players on the potential effects on hearing of their use; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The safety and regulation of consumer products, such as personal music players is, within Government, primarily a matter for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. The Department welcomes the report of the European Union's Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks. The Department, advised by the Health Protection Agency, keeps under review the risks to health which may be attributed to various kinds of noise. The Department has no plans at present for an information campaign on the risks to hearing posed by the use of personal music players.

Breast Cancer: Males

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to improve services for men with breast cancer;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received on breast cancer in men.

Ann Keen: No recent representations have been received on male breast cancer.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published Improving Outcomes in Breast Cancer guidance in 2002, which addresses services and treatments for breast cancer patients, including men.
	In February 2009, NICE also published guidance on the treatment and diagnosis of early and locally advanced breast cancer, and advanced breast cancer, which complement the cancer service guidance.

Cancer: Surgery

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) prostatectomies and  (b) cystectomies for cancer there were in the latest year for which figures are available; and which NHS trusts performed (i) fewer than 10, (ii) between 10 and 39 and (iii) 40 or more such procedures in that year.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave to the hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Christopher Fraser) on 20 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1361W. A table showing the count of finished consultant episodes for cancer-related prostatectomy, prostatectomy and cystoprosatectomy by trust in 2007-08, the latest year for which this information is available, has already been placed in the Library.

Chiropractic: Complaints

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the General Chiropractic Council on trends in the number of complaints received regarding chiropractors; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Departmental officials have held discussions with the General Chiropractic Council about their plans for handling the steep recent increase in the number of complaints received.

Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) members of the public,  (b) health professionals,  (c) journalists and  (d) representatives of patient or service user groups have attended meetings of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence since 1 January 2009.

Ann Keen: Since 1 January 2009, there have been three Council meetings of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence. Over this period, one member of the public, no health professionals, no journalists and two representatives of patient or service user groups have attended Council meetings. Minutes and papers from Council meetings are available on the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence's website:
	www.chre.org.uk/council/60/ and www.chre.org.uk/council/59

Dengue Fever

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the NHS's expenditure on the treatment of dengue fever in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: There has been no estimate made of national health service expenditure on the treatment of dengue fever in the past 12 months.
	Dengue fever does not naturally occur in the United Kingdom. Cases in the UK are imported and are associated with travel to areas where the disease is endemic, such as, South East Asia and the Indian subcontinent, the Caribbean and South and Central America.
	The following table shows the number of cases diagnosed in the UK in 2007 and 2008 by the Health Protection Agency's special pathogens reference unit.
	
		
			   2007  2008 
			 England 137 153 
			 Northern Ireland  1 
			 Scotland 20 9 
			 Wales 7 4 
			 Grand total 164 167 
			  Source: Data provided by the Health Protection Agency as at 17 June 2009.

Departmental Energy

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of water consumption on his Department's office estate in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07, (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions from offices in his Department in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the energy consumed per full-time equivalent member of staff in his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the percentage of electricity used by his Department which was derived from renewable sources in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08;
	(5)  what estimate he has made of the amount of waste arising from his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff;
	(6)  what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions arising from road-based transport used for administrative operations by his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff;
	(7)  what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions arising from air travel by staff in his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff;

Phil Hope: The Department and its Executive agencies, NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and Medicines (PASA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) take part in the annual Sustainable Development in Government exercise, which enables Departments to report on their activities against the sustainable operations targets published in June 2006. For 2007-08, NHS Connecting for Health was also included.
	The following figures detailed for 2006-07 total and full-time equivalent (FTE) and for 2007-08 totals (with the exception of carbon emissions from air travel) have been published as part of the Sustainable Development in Government Report for 2007 and 2008. Copies of both reports have already been placed in the Library.
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			   Total  Per FTE  Total  Per FTE 
			 Water Consumption (m(3)) 21,746 6.9 17,765 6.74 
			 Carbon Emissions from offices (tonnes CO2) 6,753 1.698 8,635 2.321 
			 Energy consumed (kWh) 18,404,426 4,628 23,099,389 6,201 
			 Percentage of electricity derived from renewable sources 99.9  80.8  
			 Amount of waste arising (tonnes) 574 0.14 743 0.227 
			 Carbon dioxide emissions arising from road based transport (tonnes CO2) 568 0.14 553 0.09 
			 Carbon dioxide emissions arising from air travel (tonnes CO2) 799 0.201 1,136 0.184 
		
	
	For the core Department, the information in this answer (with the exception of carbon dioxide emissions arising from road based transport and air travel) covers the Department's central administrative estate of Richmond House, Wellington House and Skipton House. The Department is a minor occupier in New Kings Beam House (HM Revenue and Customs) and Quarry House in Leeds (Department of Work and Pensions) and the data for these sites are not available to us.
	The carbon dioxide emissions arising from road based transport and air travel cover the whole Department office estate including New Kings Beam House and Quarry House.
	For 2007-08, for the first time, NHS Connecting for Health (CfH) submitted data along with the Department and our agencies NHS PASA and MHRA. In practice, however, MHRA and CfH were only able to provide limited information because they occupy rented accommodation for which energy and water consumption data are not available. This means that the 2007-08 FTE figures for water and energy consumption are slightly skewed.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1352-58W, on the departmental internet, how many  (a) unique visitors and  (b) page impressions were received by each website operated by his Department in each of the last 12 months.

Phil Hope: The information is as follows:
	Page impressions and unique visitors for the last 12 monthsThe Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk
	
		
			   Unique visitors  Page impressions 
			 May 2009 957,734 5,479,933 
			 April 2009 969,412 5,753,565 
			 March 2009 1,033,680 6,383,331 
			 February 2009 924,026 5,642,052 
			 January 2009 1,017,122 6,205,364 
			 December 2008 696,636 4,403,460 
			 November 2008 874,024 5,578,886 
			 October 2008 849,325 5,555,268 
			 September 2008 772,629 4,717,921 
			 August 2008 580,293 3,647,145 
			 July 2008 806,832 5,122,615 
			 June 2008 964,577 5,883,074 
		
	
	Page impressions and unique visitorsThe Department's advisory bodies website for the last 12 months at:
	www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk
	
		
			   Unique visitors  Page impressions 
			 May 2009 20,370 130,202 
			 April 2009 20,791 119,795 
			 March 2009 22,928 151,785 
			 February 2009 19,481 133,699 
			 January 2009 20,647 143,423 
			 December 2008 19,872 156,840 
			 November 2008 26,276 181,291 
			 October 2008 26,374 190,170 
			 September 2008 20,636 133,031 
			 August 2008 18,387 126,039 
			 July 2008 22,968 137,455 
			 June 2008 30,723 147,110 
		
	
	Page impressions and unique visitors for the last 12 monthsNHS Choices website.
	Page impressions from November 2008 onwards differ to those given in the answer of 4 February 2009 as these now include visitors and page impressions at:
	www.selfhelpguide.nhs.uk
	which is hosted by NHS Direct although branded NHS Choices at:
	www.nhs.uk
	
		
			   Unique visitors  Page impressions 
			 May 2009 5,295,640 32,013,540 
			 April 2009 4,458,415 28,369,471 
			 March 2009 5,189,162 33,998,656 
			 February 2009 4,300,217 29,763,052 
			 January 2009 4,264,746 29,422,915 
			 December 2008 3,125,976 21,123,054 
			 November 2008 3,231,224 22,916,827 
			 October 2008 2,421,293 14,362,161 
			 September 2008 2,068,380 12,982,408 
			 August 2008 2,017,496 13,004,201 
			 July 2008 2,154,660 14,488,807 
			 June 2008 1,933,770 12,837,873 
			  Notes: Unique visitors: the number of unique visitors that have entered a website within a given timescale. Thus, multiple visits within that given timescale are not recorded. Page impressions: also known as 'hits', this is when a website page is displayed on a visitor's browser. To provide the number of unique visitors and page hits for all other websites listed in the answer of 4 February 2009 would incur disproportionate costs.

Departmental Location

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on relocation costs for new members of staff in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: For the financial year 2008-09, any relocation costs for new members of staff will be reported in the Department's remuneration report, which will be published as part of the 2009 resource accounts in July.
	For 2007-08, relocation costs of 41,900 were paid on the resettlement of one new member of staff whose overall benefits-in-kind were reported in the 2007-08 remuneration report and can be found on page 25 at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/DH_089421
	For 2006-07 no relocation costs were incurred for new members of staff.

Departmental Work Experience

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid graduate internships his Department has awarded in each of the last six months.

Phil Hope: The Department does not hold records centrally of graduate internships, which may be arranged locally and independently by individual managers in its directorates.

Elderly: Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to page 12 of his Department's Resource Accounts for 2007-08, HC (2007-08) 1042, for what reason his Department reported slippage against its target for increasing the proportion of older people being supported to live in their own home; to what extent the target was met in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Department reported slippage in the 2007-08 Department's Resource Accounts for the number of older people helped to live at home. The number of older people as at 31 March per 1,000 had decreased from 81 in 2005-06 to 80 in 2006-07 representing a decrease of 1.3 per cent. However, the data (when it became available in December 2008) showed that by 31 March in 2007-08 the number increased to 81 representing an increase of 1.4 per cent.
	There are a range of reasons to account for the change, including the potential impact of increasing the level of local eligibility criteria being met locally; an increased local focus on shorter periods of rehabilitation; the increased use of support provided through the voluntary sector such as grant funded services; and the improved information and signposting to enable people to access appropriate and relevant local support thereby reducing the numbers of older people recorded as receiving care managed services.

Fractures

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to improve the clinical management of patients affected by falls, fragility fractures and osteoporosis.

Ann Keen: The Department has taken steps to improve the outcomes of patients with fragility fractures with the appointment of a National Clinical Director for Trauma Care, Professor Keith Willett. He will play an important role in the development of clinical policy for trauma care, including the care of older people with fractures.
	The Department is also working with stakeholders on a number of initiatives in support of the further development of integrated falls and osteoporosis services including:
	working with the Royal College of Physicians and local services to take forward work to improve services for people who fall and are at risk of falling;
	additional investment in DXA scanning bringing investment up to 20 million to increase capacity in osteoporosis services, resulting in waits over 13 weeks falling by 90 per cent.; and
	working, as part of the wider Prevention Package announced in May 2008, to encourage older people to exercise which helps them to improve bone mass and provide general lifestyle messages, around diet, exercise, reducing smoking and avoiding excessive consumption of alcohol, which are helpful in the prevention of osteoporosis.
	In addition, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has produced recent clinical guidelines on the use of drugs to prevent osteoporotic fractures in post-menopausal women.

Fractures

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms his Department has in place for the assessment of standards of care for people  (a) at risk of falls, fragility fractures and osteoporosis and  (b) with fragility fractures and osteoporosis.

Phil Hope: It is the responsibility of strategic health authorities, working in partnership with local authorities, to commission appropriate standards of care locally for people with, or at risk from, fragility fractures and osteoporosis.
	The Quality Care Commission have been given the power to monitor and inspect the provision of local health and social care services, including pathways of care or themes where there are particular concerns about quality.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the largest  (a) single and  (b) aggregate claim for NHS treatment made by a carrier of a European Health Insurance Card was in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how much of the sums paid by the Government to other EU member states under the provisions of the European Health Insurance Card arose from treatment in each NHS trust in each of the last 10 years.

Gillian Merron: The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) allows the holder to access treatment that becomes necessary during a visit to another European Economic Area member state, not in the home state itself. Therefore the sums paid by the United Kingdom to another member state in respect of the EHIC, relate to treatment provided in that member state, rather than by the national health service.

Hospitals

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department provides to strategic health authorities on provision of information to those in the catchment area of hospitals on decisions to reduce levels of services at those hospitals.

Ann Keen: The Department provides no specific guidance to strategic health authorities on the provision of information to those in the catchment area of hospitals on decisions to reduce levels of services at those hospitals. These are matters for the local primary care trusts who have responsibility for involving service users in the planning of services and development of proposals for change in services.

Hospitals: Admissions

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there have been for diagnosis code  (a) T40.0,  (b) T40.1,  (c) T40.2,  (d) T40.3,  (e) T40.4,  (f) T40.5,  (g) T40.6,  (h) T40.7,  (i) T40.8 and  (j) T40.9 for (i) males and (ii) females aged (A) under 14, (B) 14 to 17 and (C) 18 years and over in (1) each region and (2) each primary care trust in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The information has been placed in the Library. The information requested is shown in the tables by strategic health authority (SHA). Were the data presented by primary care trust, the majority of entries would be small numbers and would therefore be suppressed in order to preserve confidentiality.

Hospitals: Admissions

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there have been for  (a) measles,  (b) mumps and  (c) rubella for (i) males and (ii) females aged (A) under 10, (B) 10 to 13, (C) 14 to 17 and (D) 18 years and over in (1) each region and (2) each primary care trust in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The available information is given in the following tables. This covers activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.
	
		
			  Count of finished admission episodes where the admission was for measles, mumps or rubella 
			  Measles 
			  Sex/age 
			   Male  Female  Unknown 
			   0-9  10-13  14-17  18+  0-9  10-13  14-17  18+  18+ 
			 2007-08 147 5 10 37 114 4 12 27  
			 2006-07 97 1 8 22 104 8 6 33  
			 2005-06 36 7 5 11 38 3 2 7  
			 2004-05 29   10 25   7  
			 2003-04 42 3  10 38 5 3 10  
		
	
	
		
			  Mumps 
			  Sex/age 
			   Male  Female  Unknown 
			   0-9  10-13  14-17  18+  0-9  10-13  14-17  18+  18+ 
			 2007-08 28 7 7 71 22 10 6 46 1 
			 2006-07 36 14 18 136 25 4 6 61  
			 2005-06 59 34 155 754 34 20 49 204  
			 2004-05 51 15 105 467 21 15 58 189  
			 2003-04 15 6 11 51 21 3 13 26  
		
	
	
		
			  Rubella 
			  Sex/age 
			   Male  Female  Unknown 
			   0-9  10-13  14-17  18+  0-9  10-13  14-17  18+  18+ 
			 2007-08 8  1 4 8   8  
			 2006-07 5   5 6   6  
			 2005-06 9   1 4  3 3  
			 2004-05 14  1 1 3  2 5  
			 2003-04 13   2 7  2 5  
			  Notes:  1. Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  2. Primary and secondary diagnoses The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 19 (13 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and six prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care.  3. Codes used to denote measles, mumps or rubella Measles B05.Measles Mumps B26.Mumps Rubella B06.Rubella [German measles], P35.0 Congenital rubella syndrome. If the patient has been admitted for treatment of measles, mumps or rubella, then the code for measles, mumps or rubella would be found in a primary position, except in the following cases: a. Measles, mumps or rubella complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium; in this case, one of the following codes would precede the code for measles, mumps or rubella: O35.3 Maternal care for (suspected) damage to fetus from viral disease in mother; and O98.5 Other viral diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium. b. In the case where a baby is admitted due to measles, mumps or rubella acquired after birth but within 28 days of birth (perinatal period), a code from the following categories would precede the code for measles, mumps or rubella, which would be in a secondary position: P35-P39 Infections specific to the perinatal period.  4. Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  5. Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in national health service practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  6. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in the data, i.e. the data are ungrossed.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Infant Foods

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to parents of  (a) preparing and providing formula milk as the only or main food for and  (b) breastfeeding an infant from birth to six months of age.

Gillian Merron: Breast milk is the best nutrition for infants. Exclusively breastfeeding an infant from birth to six months of age involves negligible cost to parents. We have estimated the amount of formula milk required for infants from birth to six months based on energy requirements set by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy.
	At the current price the estimated cost for providing formula milk as a sole food for infants from birth to six months would be approximately 180 to 210. This estimate excludes the cost of additional equipment required for formula feeding such as the feeding bottles, teats and sterilisation equipment.

Infant Foods

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of permitting the purchase of infant formula with Healthy Start Scheme vouchers on  (a) attitudes towards breastfeeding and  (b) the number of mothers who breastfeed.

Gillian Merron: The Department has not yet undertaken an evaluation of the attitudes of Healthy Start beneficiaries towards breastfeeding, or of the extent to which they purchase infant formula milk with their Healthy Start vouchers. We are, however, planning to commission research on the impact of the scheme on beneficiary behaviour during the current financial year.
	Healthy Start vouchers can be used to purchase infant formula milk because it is the only safe alternative to breast milk for infants who are not being breastfed. To exclude it from the scheme could put the babies of low income mothers who have chosen not to breastfeed at severe risk. All communication materials for the scheme advise that breast milk is the best food for all infants under six months old. Midwives and health professionals countersigning Healthy Start application forms are asked to provide advice on healthy diet, including the importance of breastfeeding and to signpost relevant services.

Learning Disability

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2009,  Official Report, columns 1223-24W, on learning disability, by what date he expects NHS bodies and councils with social services responsibilities to satisfy themselves that failures similar to those identified by the Health Service Commissioner are not ongoing; how he intends to assess progress in that regard; whether he has directed the Care Quality Commission to take the Commissioner's report into account; what steps he plans to take to  (a) implement and  (b) monitor progress against the Commission's recommendations; and from which departmental budget payments for compensation for distress will be drawn.

Phil Hope: In November 2008, David Nicholson, chief executive of the national health service, wrote to all strategic health authorities (SHAs) to seek assurance that action is being taken across the NHS organisations in their area to promote disability equality and to implement the recommendations in Healthcare for All, the report of Sir Jonathan Michael's independent inquiry on access to healthcare for people with learning disabilities. SHAs have since given a clear commitment to supporting and monitoring implementation of the independent inquiry recommendations in their areas.
	The delivery plan for Valuing People Now, the Government's new three-year strategy for people with learning disabilities, sets out the systems in place to ensure improvements across all services, including better health and healthcare for people with learning, disabilities. The national Learning Disabilities Programme Board has overall responsibility for assuring delivery of Valuing People Now. Each area has a local Learning Disability Partnership Board, which will report annually through their regional board on the action they have taken.
	The Valuing People Now healthcare steering group, which includes representation from the Care Quality Commission, has specific responsibility for overseeing delivery of the commitments on better healthcare for people with learning disabilities. It is also working with SHAs to ensure that the ombudsmen's recommendations are met, including ensuring that all NHS organisations review the systems, capacity and capability they have in place to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities and report on this by March 2010.
	Individual cases should be considered at a local level, following the usual routes for redress, where appropriate.

Local Involvement Networks

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been made available to local involvement networks in Stoke-on-Trent; and what assessment has been made of their effectiveness.

Ann Keen: The allocation for 2008-09 made to the local authority for the Stoke-on-Trent local involvement network (LINk) was 0.61 million.
	The legal duty to ensure LINk activities are carried on rests with local authorities. It is their responsibility to make sure that the contract with the host organisation provides that the support given to the LINk ensures the LINk is as effective as possible.
	Each year LINks must produce an annual report setting out what they have achieved, the activities they have undertaken, the money they have spent on their activities and the impact they have had. Reports have to be completed by 30 June and must be made publicly available. Copies have to be sent to the Department and these will be analysed to see what, if any, additional national support would be appropriate.

Malnutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1028-29W, on malnutrition, in what ways the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition's recent report has contributed to his Department's work on  (a) Dignity in Care,  (b) Healthy Start,  (c) Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives and  (d) other relevant workstreams; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition report launched January 2009 has contributed to the work of the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board; working to improve nutrition and Dignity in Care in adult social care settings and which in turn has underlined the importance in effective delivery of Healthy Start and the Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives programme.

Malnutrition

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking in co-operation with other Government departments and agencies to reduce levels of malnutrition.

Gillian Merron: The Department and the Nutrition Summit Stakeholder Group which comprised members from other Government Departments and key agencies collaborated to produce The Nutrition Action Plan 2008. This joint plan collectively addresses nutritional care within hospitals, care homes and the community through the provision of ample and nourishing food, help with eating, modified diets and specialist tube feeding.

Malnutrition

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to NHS bodies on the diagnosis of malnutrition.

Gillian Merron: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued clinical guidelines to national health service bodies on Nutrition Support in Adults in February 2006. This covered the care of patients with malnutrition or at risk of malnutrition, both in hospital or at home. In addition, British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN) has developed guidance to help hospitals and primary care trusts (PCTs) develop their infrastructure to deliver improved food and nutrition support services.
	The Malnutrition Advisory Group, a standing committee of BAPEN published its second nutrition screening report on 12 May 2009. MUST is a five-step screening tool to identify adults, who are malnourished, at risk of malnutrition (undernutrition) or obese. It also includes management guidelines which can be used to develop a care plan. It is used in hospitals, community and other care settings and can be used by all care workers.

Malnutrition

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of treating diseases related to malnutrition in the last year for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally.

Malnutrition: Screening

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts have a nutrition  (a) screening committee and  (b) a support team.

Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally.

Malnutrition: Screening

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to primary care trusts on the inclusion of indicators of malnutrition in joint strategic needs assessments.

Gillian Merron: A core dataset is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_081097

Mental Health Services: Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1238W, on children: mental health services, how many of the young people placed on adult mental health wards in each year since 2005-06 were given medication while on such wards.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS Connecting for Health: Expenditure

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on  (a) staff,  (b) office and  (c) other costs incurred in respect of Connecting for Health in each year since 2004.

Mike O'Brien: Within the Department, NHS Connecting for Health, which came into being in April 2005, is responsible both for central expenditure necessary for ensuring delivery of the information technology systems under the national programme for information technology, and for maintaining the critical business systems previously provided to the national health service by the former NHS Information Authority.
	Relevant information covering all NHS Connecting for Health's responsibilities is shown in the following table.
	
		
			million 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Total (note 1) 971.0 1,119.7 1,195.7 1,094.3 
			 Of which : Staff 139.4 149.5 142.4 129.2 
			 Office 9.4 9.3 8.9 7.9 
			  Notes: 1. Total capital and revenue (excludes capital charges). 2. 'Staff' covers the direct employment costs of permanent and temporary NHS personnel employed via the NHS Business Services Authority as host authority, secondees, contractors, and the manpower and non-manpower costs of departmental civil servants. 3. 'Office' includes rents/rates, utilities, office equipment, furniture and fittings.

NHS Innovation Expo

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which companies have been contracted to provide services for the NHS Innovation Expo event; which services will be provided under each contract; and what the value of each contract is.

Gillian Merron: The companies directly contracted to provide services for the Expo event, the services they are providing, and the value of each contract awarded are as follows:
	MISprovision of event management services (three individual contracts, with values of 249,204, 231,075 and 350,000a combined total value of 830,279); and
	Central Office of Informationprovision of project management and co-ordination (contract value 203,350), and communications and media handling (contract value 100,000).

NHS: Cambridgeshire

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the NHS staff-to-patient ratio in  (a) Cambridgeshire and  (b) Peterborough was in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.

Nurses

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an estimate of the number of families in receipt of assistance from the Family Nursing Partnership scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We are currently testing the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) in 30 sites across England. Family recruitment is ongoing, and we estimate these sites will work with approximately 3,000 families. Healthy lives, brighter futuresthe strategy for children and young people's health (published in February 2009) said the Government wished to expand to 70 pilot sites by April 2011. Overall, this would allow capacity to deliver FNP to around 7,000 families.

Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to page 40 of his Department's document, Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: One Year On, of April 2009, whether an assessment of an individual's weight at an NHS health check will include an assessment with a nutritional screening tool.

Gillian Merron: National guidance to support local implementation of NHS health check programme does not recommend that a nutritional screening tool is used as part of the risk assessment. However, where an individual's body mass index is considered to be a risk factor in terms of vascular disease it is expected that they will receive advice and support on managing their weight, which would cover both nutrition and physical activity.

Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to page 40 of his Department's document, Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: One Year On, of April 2009, whether individuals assessed as being underweight at an NHS health check will be referred onwards to nutritional support services.

Gillian Merron: The purpose of an NHS health check is to identify an individual's risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease, for this risk to be communicated in a way that the individual understands, and for that risk to be managed by appropriate follow-up. These diseases are all linked by a common set of modifiable risk factors. Obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels all raise the risk of vascular disease. While the NHS health check focuses on reducing these risk factors in order to reduce the risk of vascular disease, health professionals carrying out the checks will of course have the opportunity to identify people who are seriously underweight and will be able to exercise their clinical judgment in referring them for appropriate treatment or intervention.

Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to publish the final report of the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board.

Phil Hope: When the Nutrition Action Plan was published in October 2007, the Department made a public commitment that the final report of the Delivery Board would be published and placed on the Department's website. A copy of the report will also be placed in the Library.

Occupational Health

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations made in the Working for a Healthier Tomorrow report.

Phil Hope: The Government response to Dame Carol Black's review of the health of the Britain's working age population Working for a Healthier Tomorrow was published on 25 November 2008 (Cm 7492). Improving health and work: changing lives sets out the Government's approach to working-age health and contains a programme of actions and new initiatives to address the recommendations made by Dame Carol in her review.

Patient Choice Schemes: Expenditure

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on the GP Systems of Choice programme in each year since its inception.

Mike O'Brien: GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) was introduced in August 2007. To 31 March 2009, payments made to GPSoC suppliers totalled some 18.959 million. GP systems were in use by practices before GPSoC was introduced. Therefore these costs would have been incurred by the national health service regardless of whether or not GPSoC was introduced.

Sick Leave: Yorkshire

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of  (a) absence and  (b) absence resulting from ill-health was among NHS employees in Yorkshire in 2008-09; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such absences; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally.
	The Department recognises that high quality care needs a high quality workforce, so in November 2008, the then Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, West and Hessle (Alan Johnson), announced a review of the health and wellbeing of the NHS Workforce. The review is currently calling for evidence from employers, staff and key stakeholders.

Social Services: Learning Disability

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with a learning disability receive social care.

Phil Hope: During the period 1 April to 31 March 2008, 126,000 adults aged 18-64 with learning disabilities and 14,000 adults aged 65 and over with learning disabilities received a social care service funded either partly or wholly by their council with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs) in England following a community care assessment.
	Data on the number of people receiving social services funded either fully or partially by CASSR in England are collected and published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care as part of the referrals, assessments and packages of care (RAP) return.

Swine Flu: Medical Treatments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of those diagnosed with swine influenza have been treated with  (a) Tamiflu and  (b) Relenza.

Gillian Merron: Health Protection Agency records, to date, suggest that 99 per cent. of confirmed H1N1 cases are offered Tamiflu (Oseltamivir), and approximately 1 per cent. are offered Relenza (Zanamivir).

Teenage Pregnancy: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of  (a) conception usage and  (b) pregnancy terminated by abortion was among those under the age of 18 years in Milton Keynes in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, June 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the rate of  (a) conception and  (b) pregnancy terminated by abortion was among those under the age of 18 years in Milton Keynes in each of the last five years.(280877)
	Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions.
	The table below provides the rate of  (a) conceptions and  (b) conceptions leading to a legal abortion, among girls aged under 18, for Milton Keynes unitary authority for 2003 to 2007 (the most recent year for which figures are available).
	
		
			  Rate of (a) conceptions and (b) conceptions leading to a legal abortion, among girls aged under 18( 1) , for Milton Keynes Unitary authority 2003 to 2007 
			   (a) Conceptions :  Rate per, 1000( 2)  (b) Conceptions leading to a legal abortion : Rate per 1,000 ( 3) 
			 2003 40.4 15.7 
			 2004 41.6 18.6 
			 2005 46.1 23.8 
			 2006 44.5 22.8 
			 2007(4) 39.1 20.7 
			 (1) Under 18 years at estimated date of conception (2) Number of conceptions to women under 18 per 1,000 female population aged 15-17 (3) Number of conceptions to women under 18 leading to a legal abortion per 1,000 female population aged 15-17 (4) Figures for 2007 are provisional

Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects venous thromboembolism to be included in the NHS Operating Framework.

Ann Keen: We expect venous thromboembolism (VTE) will be included in the 2010-11 national health service Operating Framework, which will be published later in the year.

Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to develop a venous thromboembolism prevention strategy;
	(2)  what assessment he made of the merits of including venous thromboembolism risk assessment in the full NHS list of indicators for quality improvement.

Ann Keen: The Department has a very comprehensive venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention strategy in place at present. Under the leadership of the Chief Medical Officer, many strands of work are being taken forward across a number of organisations.
	Indicators for Quality Improvement was launched in May 2009 as a resource to support understanding and improving the quality of national health service services. The initial list is based largely on existing indicators and will evolve over time to cover a fuller range of NHS services as further indicators are identified and developed.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Cabinet: Glasgow

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) special advisers and  (b) officials of her Department accompanied her to Glasgow for the Cabinet meeting on 16 April 2009.

Jim Knight: For information relation to the Cabinet and public engagement event held in Glasgow on 16 April, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 3 June 2009,  Official Report, column 487W.

Children: Maintenance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parents have been prosecuted for  (a) not providing information and  (b) providing false information to the Child Support Agency in each year since 2000.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 11 June 2009
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many parents have been prosecuted for  (a) not providing information and  (b) providing false information to the Child Support Agency in each year since 2000.
	There were a total of 1,440 successful prosecutions in 2008/09. Of these, 1,380 parents were prosecuted for failing to provide information, 15 for providing false information and 45 for other offence types.
	The total number of successful prosecutions broken down each year from 2004/05 are included in the attached table. There is no further breakdown available by prosecution type prior to 2008/09 as the system used to record this information is no longer in use. No figures are available prior to 2004/05.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Table 1: S uccessful prosecutions 
			   Number 
			 2004-05 250 
			 2005-06 400 
			 2006-07 480 
			 2007-08 660 
			 2008-09 1,440 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. No prior figures are available before 2004-05. 3. The figures for 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 are taken from the old compliance access database which is no longer in use, a breakdown of prosecution type can therefore not be included. 4. The figure for 2008-09 is taken from the CriMIS small systems database which provides a breakdown of prosecution type.

Council Tax Benefit: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in  (a) Tameside and  (b) Stockport receive 100 per cent. council tax benefit.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is not available in the format requested.

Departmental Billing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies paid in interest to suppliers under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in the last three years for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: An analysis of our central accounting system for the three years requested has shown the following amounts paid to suppliers by the Department under the account code Late Payment of BillsInterest Paid. The amounts are inclusive of VAT.
	
		
			
			 2006 26,400 
			 2007 3,473 
			 2008 9,330 
		
	
	The values are annual totals for the Department and its agencies.

Departmental Data Protection

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998 have been recorded in  (a) her Department and  (b) each of its agencies in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: Because the Department handles data relating to millions of individual customers on a daily basis, small localised data incidents are dealt with as they arise. These are not recorded centrally by the Department or its agencies, and consequently the details of such incidents could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	More significant incidents which involve personal data are reported to the Information Commissioner as a matter of course. Under the mandatory requirements of the Data Handling Report published on 25 June 2008, the Department is required to provide a summary of such incidents in its annual resource accounts.
	The Department has published details of incidents arising during 2007-08 in the annual resource account which was published on 13 August 2008. We will be publishing information on incidents reported to the Information Commissioner during 2008-09 in the next resource accounts. The information is currently being compiled and verified before it is laid before Parliament.

Departmental Electricity

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the percentage of electricity used by her Department which was derived from renewable sources in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Jim Knight: The following table gives details of the percentage of renewable energy used by the Department for Work and Pensions.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Energy from renewable sources  Good quality combined heat and power sources 
			 2006-07 53.5 9 
			 2007-08 34 43 
		
	
	The Department took a deliberate decision to reduce its percentage renewables in 2007-08 to allow an increase in CHP generated supplies and an overall increase from 62.5 per cent. to 77 per cent.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1636-8W, on the departmental internet, how many  (a) unique visitors and  (b) page impressions were received by each website operated by her Department in each of the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: holding answer 18 June 2009
	The following tables outline  (a) unique visitors and  (b) page views (page impressions for the Jobcentre Plus website) in line with Cabinet Office guidance, for each of the websites maintained by the Department for Work and Pensions as per the answer of 9 February 2009. We cannot produce all the statistics as DWP does not hold some of the figures and due to some technical difficulties we were unable to collect all the figures for each month.
	
		
			  Table A:  Unique visitors  for the websites maintained by the Department for Work and Pension 2008-09 
			   2008 
			  Site  April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November  December 
			 DWP 620,492 637,574 760,610 742,472 658,287 748,565 813,280 818,521 645,387 
			 JCP 6,091,767 5,671,110 6,463,155 7,037,643 6,297,163 8,821,813 8,595,983 6,656,645 5,430,710 
			 CSA 93,381 91,371 98,856 100,352 96,790 107,056 109,204 106,554 83,589 
			 AP 15,105 19,863 23,872 16,594 11,405 12,258 8,472 7,929 6,092 
			 ESF 6,590 10,136 11,115 9,453 8,165 9,250 9,674 12,227 8,704 
			 ICE 1,505 1,496 2,026 1,775 1,831 1,550 1,642 1,499 1,265 
			 IIAC 1,631 1,495 1,550 1,506 1,264 1,402 1,404 1,262 1,034 
			 SSCA 1,135 1,510 1,594 1,037 976 979 1,047 1,875 1,044 
			 ODI 6,459 8,126 7,799 9,351 7,031 (1) (1) 8,754 9,524 
			 DG-D 1,434,791 1,164,606 1,243,904 315,295 292,014 330,801 350,623 (1) (1) 
			 DG-C 89,435 76,258 85,006 85,762 79,562 90,908 95,233 91,746 69,544 
			 DG 50+ 162,296 117,783 127,308 132,785 134,161 154,189 155,105 158,924 119,692 
			 TPS (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 304,843 307,620 359,208 244,997 
			 Total 8,524,587 7,801,328 8,826,795 8,454,025 7,588,649 10,583,614 10,449,287 8,225,144 6,621,582 
		
	
	
		
			   2009 
			  Site  January  February  March 
			 DWP 1,112,470 932,498 1,008,693 
			 JCP 10,071,434 8,247,216 (1) 
			 CSA 132,020 109,267 (1) 
			 AP 8,414 8,592 (1) 
			 ESF 10,645 10,145 (1) 
			 ICE 1,783 1,625 (1) 
			 IIAC 1,395 1,384 (1) 
			 SSCA 1,328 1,141 (1) 
			 ODI 10,450 (1) (1) 
			 DG-D (1) 384,892 (1) 
			 DG-C 129,362 110,703 (1) 
			 DG 50+ 256,358 204,867 227,434 
			 TPS 412,872 337,812 487,977 
			 Total 12,148,531 10,350,142 1,724,104 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Page views for the websites maintained by the Department for Work and Pensions2008-09 
			   2008 
			  Site  April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November  December 
			 DWP 4,890,895 4,632,534 5,467,135 5,481,316 4,823,111 5,255,207 5,840,085 5,675,631 4,578,694 
			 JCP 279,358,470 250,206,608 290,661,873 302,481,658 271,781,484 308,875,532 302,104,417 266,874,017 179,521,943 
			 CSA 693,879 623,741 710,818 703,331 669,090 753,074 770,977 721,481 550,725 
			 AP 64,450 77,281 85,586 67,995 49,610 47,653 35,517 33,739 28,350 
			 ESF 35,240 58,541 63,781 48,604 51,520 57,699 54,395 62,070 44,399 
			 ICE 24,112 24,328 24,046 25,047 26,334 20,945 20,229 23,312 29,862 
			 IIAC 18,911 19,293 18,202 18,395 18,488 16,534 16,764 18,587 17,903 
			 SSCA 18,403 20,187 18,561 18,166 18,631 17,356 17,036 45,590 18,453 
			 ODI 52,021 57,474 53,154 58,098 48,873 (1) (1) 49,760 57,367 
			 DG-D (1) (1) (1) 1,291,101 1,206,271 1,321,886 1,390,235 (1) (1) 
			 DG-C 327,393 279,429 315,728 321,083 298,200 331,579 357,209 357,971 265,159 
			 DG 50+ 434,884 294,965 321,516 336,221 349,620 389,937 400,452 416,613 304,269 
			 TPS (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 2,815,695 2,954,131 3,155,462 2,159,900 
			 Total 285,918,658 256,294,381 297,740,400 310,851,015 279,341,232 319,903,097 313,961,447 277,434,233 187,577,024 
		
	
	
		
			   2009 
			  Site  January  February  March 
			 DWP 7,693,486 6,311,548 7,648,495 
			 JCP 350,647,463 298,532,534 324,713,314 
			 CSA 901,912 741,673 (1) 
			 AP 35,569 35,529 (1) 
			 ESF 53,056 50,377 (1) 
			 ICE 25,457 23,345 (1) 
			 IIAC 19,055 17,811 (1) 
			 SSCA 19,755 17,807 (1) 
			 ODI 57,772 (1) (1) 
			 DG-D (1) 1,566,846 (1) 
			 DG-C 472,298 406,136 (1) 
			 DG 50+ 678,359 565,034 626,209 
			 TPS 3,820,139 3,137,296 4,724,905 
			 Total 364,424,321 311,405,936 337,712,923 
			 (1) Not collected.   KEY:   DWP  Department for Work and Pensions:  www.dwp.gov.uk   JCP  Jobcentre Plus:  www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk   CSA  Child Support Agency:  www.csa.gov.uk   AP  Age Positive:  www.agepositive.gov.uk this site closed in February 2009   ESF  European Social Fund:  www.esf.gov.uk   ICE  Independent Case Examiner:  www.ind-case-exam.org.uk (DWP hosts the website but is not responsible for the content)   IIAC  Industrial Injuries Advisory Council:  www.iiac.org.uk (DWP hosts the website but is not responsible for the content)   SSAC  Social Security Advisory Committee:  www.ssac.org.uk (DWP hosts the website but is not responsible for the content)   ODI  Office for Disability Issues:  www.officefordisability.gov.uk   DG-D  Directgov Disabled People and Carers Sections:  www.direct.gov.uk/disability (Directgov operate the website but DWP is responsible for the content)   DG-C  Directgov Disabled People and Carers Sections:  www.direct.gov.uk/carers (Directgov operate the website but DWP is responsible for the content)   DG 50+  Directgov Over 50s Section (now re-titled Pensions and Retirement Planning):  www.direct.gov.uk/over50s (Directgov operate the website but DWP is responsible for the content)   TPS  The Pension Service:  www.thepensionservice.gov.uk   Notes:  1. Data are not held for the Health and Safety Executive website:  www.hse.gov.uk  2. Data are not collected for Now Lets Talk Money website: www.nowletstalkmoney.com  or Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force website: www.emetaskforce.gov.uk

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to which  (a) magazines,  (b) journals and  (c) newspapers her Department subscribes; and what the total cost of such subscriptions has been in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: Annex A (magazines and journals) and annex B (newspapers) listing magazines, journals and newspapers subscribed to by the Department for Work and Pensions has been placed in the Library.
	Information on the cost of subscriptions in each of the last three years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   
			  Financial year  Newspaper/magazine spend  Periodical spend 
			 2006-07 73,794.25 134,642.74 
			 2007-08 56,364.35 138,063.72 
			 2008-09 42,389.51 167,444.62

Departmental Telephone Services

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria her Department uses to monitor the performance of its callbacks to telephone benefit claimants; and what percentage of customers who request a callback were contacted in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: I have asked the Jobcentre Plus Contact Centre Directorate Acting Operations Director, Stuart Griffiths, to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stuart Griffiths, dated 19 June 2009:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what criteria the Department of Work and Pensions uses to monitor the performance of its callbacks to telephone benefit claimants; and what percentage of customers who request a callback are contacted. [PQ 278377]
	I will respond on behalf of Jobcentre Plus (including Benefit and Fraud Directorate) and Pension, Disability and Carers Service.
	 Jobcentre Plus Contact Centre Directorate
	The criteria Jobcentre Plus Contact Centre Directorate use to monitor the performance of pre-booked callbacks is that 90% of callbacks are completed within 36 hours. This includes customers who answer their callback, and also customers who we are unable to contact after two telephone calls. Therefore, we call back 100% of customers who request it. If we are unable to contact a customer due to their unavailability, a letter is sent informing them that Jobcentre Plus has tried to telephone them, and to call us again if they still wish to make a claim.
	For 2008/09, 92.6% of callbacks were completed within 36 hours.
	For April 2009, 97.6% of callbacks were completed within 36 hours.
	 Benefit and Fraud Directorate
	Benefit and Fraud Directorate telephony teams aim to clear 80% of first time calls from customers, with approximately 20% referred for a potential callback. If a callback is required by the customer, this is emailed to benefit processing teams with an expectation that callbacks will be made within three hours of the initial customer contact. All customers requesting a callback will receive one.
	 Pension, Disability and Carers Service
	The information requested is not available in the Pension, Disability and Carers Service.
	I hope this reply is helpful.

Disability Discrimination Act 2005

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what mechanisms are in place to ensure that  (a) her Department and  (b) contractors comply with relevant provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 in processing benefit claims from those with a mental health condition;
	(2)  what mechanisms are in place to ensure that  (a) her Department and  (b) contractors comply with relevant provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 in respect of those with a mental health condition in (i) allocating and (ii) administering work experience and work trial placements.

Jonathan R Shaw: All public authorities are subject to the Disability Equality Duty which requires them to pay due regard to promoting disability when carrying out all of their functions. Some public authorities are also required to publish a Disability Equality Scheme setting out how they will meet the Disability Equality Duty.
	The Department published Single Equality Schemes, incorporating disability, race and gender, in 2008. These schemes include a three-year action plan setting out how the Department and its agencies intend to meet their three Public Sector Duties and how they will equality impact assess their policies and practices against them.
	In respect of the Disability Equality Duty, they also set out how disabled people have been involved in producing the schemes and setting the direction of travel that would best achieve improvements in outcomes for disabled people. The scheme action plans are monitored and formal progress reports are published annually. All schemes and information can be found on the DWP website.
	Where the Department is providing services to the public or delivering public functions, it is required by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled people to have access to those services or functions.
	There is mandatory training in place for all DWP staff to ensure they have the appropriate cultural and legislative knowledge to understand their responsibilities when developing policies or providing services for disabled customers, including those with a mental health condition.
	The provisions in place that ensure a contractor complies with the relevant provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 are contained in our standard terms and conditions. Section 37 Unlawful Discrimination states the Contractor shall not unlawfully discriminate within the meaning and scope of the Race Relations Act 1976, the Sex-Discrimination Act 1975 or the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 or analogous legislation which has been, or may be, enacted from time to time relating to discrimination in employment.
	Contract managers review compliance with disability discrimination legislation periodically as part of their supplier relationship management procedures.

Future Jobs Fund

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the Future Jobs Fund.

Jim Knight: The future jobs fund is an important new initiative announced in the Budget 2009 worth 1 billion to create 150,000 new jobs both for young people and individuals living in unemployment hotspots. We are inviting bids from a wide range of organisations and partnerships including those from the sport and creative industries to create valuable jobs that bring real benefits to individuals and their communities.
	The previous Secretary of State for Work and Pensions met with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to discuss ways to ensure the sport and culture industries are able to put together strong bids to the fund and deliver jobs in these industries as early as October 2009.
	Building on this, officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Work and Pensions have been working closely together to ensure the sport and creative industries play a prominent role in the jobs created through the future jobs fund and we expect to receive a number of bids from organisations in these areas when we start assessing bids from July 2009 onwards.
	It is important that we engage with individuals who are approaching long-term unemployment to help them move into fulfilling and valuable employment that will help Britain prepare for economic recovery. The future jobs fund will provide organisations with the funding to do this and make a real contribution to the lives of individuals and their communities.

Health and Safety Executive

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she plans to take to establish the nuclear directorate within the Health and Safety Executive on a statutory basis.

Jonathan R Shaw: My officials have been working closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Health and Safety Executive to develop proposals to give effect to the Government's decision to restructure the nuclear directorate through legislation. We expect to publish proposals for public consultation in the near future.

Motability

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Motability cars were being used in England and Wales on the latest date for which figures are available; how much funding from the public purse was contributed towards the cost of adapted vehicles for the scheme in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are currently 431,241 Motability cars being used in England and Wales. Details of funding provided to Motability are in the following table.
	
		
			  Funding provided to Motability 
			  000 
			   Specialised vehicles fund  Administration 
			 2004-05 8,375 2,700 
			 2005-06 8,615 2,800 
			 2006-07 9,087 2,800 
			 2007-08 12,700 2,960 
			 2008-09 17,036 2,960 
			  Notes: Motability administers the specialised vehicles fund on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. The Fund provides financial assistance to those disabled drivers or passengers on the scheme who require extensive adaptations to their vehicles. The majority of these adaptations allow the disabled person to travel as a passenger, where necessary entering the vehicle and travelling while remaining seated in a wheelchair.  Source:  Motability.

Motability

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the savings which would accrue to her Department if cars used for the Motability scheme were changed every six years; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Motability is an independent charity and is responsible for the administration of the Motability scheme. We have no reason to believe that this Department would accrue any savings if Motability changed their cars every six years.

New Deal Schemes

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many persons registered for each category of the New Deal programme at Jobcentre Plus in the last six months.

Jim Knight: holding answer 19 June 2009
	Figures on new starters on the new deals are shown in the following table. The six-month period used here is up to and including February 2009.
	
		
			   Starters (individuals) in last six months 
			 New Deal for Young People 97,880 
			 New Deal 25-plus 51,330 
			 New Deal for Lone Parents 90,040 
			 New Deal for Disabled People 16,190 
			 New Deal for Partners 1,110 
			 Total 256,550 
			  Definitions and conventions: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Notes: 1. Latest data are to February 2009. 2. The total starters exclude those customers on new deal 50-plus as these figures have been withdrawn pending an investigation of the data source. 3. This information is published at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/tabtool_nd.asp  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate.

New Deal Schemes: Hertfordshire

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in East Hertfordshire have participated in a new deal programme in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The following table sets out the number of people who started participation in a new deal programme in the East Hertfordshire district in the last three years.
	
		
			   New deal starters 
			 2006 310 
			 2007 350 
			 2008 270 
			  Definitions and conventions: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Time seriesyear of starting: The calendar year of starting new deal. Latest data are to February 2009. 1. The totals for each year exclude those customers on new deal 50-plus as these figures have been withdrawn pending an investigation of the data source 2. The measure used for new deal for partners is starters (individuals) as spells are not available for this new deal. 3. Since June 2008, new deal for disabled people has ceased to operate as a national programme  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate.

Social Fund

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding the Government plans to allocate to the Social Fund in 2009-10; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Additional funding for social fund loans was announced in the Chancellor's Budget report on 22 April 2009, to ensure that support can continue to be provided during the economic downturn. As a result, the previous gross loans budget for Great Britain for 2009-10 was increased. The current discretionary social fund budgets for Great Britain are given in the table.
	
		
			  Discretionary social fund budgets for Great Britain for 2009-10 
			million 
			 Gross loans 650 
			 Community care grants 141 
			 Contingency reserve 1 
		
	
	The regulated social fund is demand led, so there are no fixed budgets. All the funds necessary to pay claimants entitled to an award will be made available.

Unemployment: Older Workers

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps her Department has taken to assist unemployed people over the age of 50 years to find work.

Jim Knight: The Government are committed to giving everyone the support they need to find employment as quickly as possible, whatever their age.
	A major factor in the employment of older people is employer behaviour. In addition to providing generic good practice guidance to employers, the UK's Age Positive initiative is working in partnership with business leaders to develop sector-based models of flexible retirement to support the increased employment and retention of older workers and the removal of fixed retirement ages.
	Our plans for the future include providing guidance to older workers on their options for working longer, encouraging employers to increase flexible work and phased retirement opportunities, and monitoring the impact of the economic downturn to identify which groups are being most affected and targeting further help where it is most needed.
	On 6 April 2009, as part of the Government's response to the economic downturn, the Department for Work and Pensions put in place extra support for newly unemployed customers, including information and advice about the latest job search techniques and coaching on how to make the most of transferable skills. Extra help for those who have been claiming jobseeker's allowance for six months was also introduced, including opportunities to volunteer, support to become self-employed, recruitment subsidies and work-focused training.
	Since last autumn, the Department has also quadrupled the available funding for the rapid response service, which provides advice and support to customers facing redundancy. It has extended local employment partnerships, the adviser discretion fund and access to work so they are available to customers from the first day of their claim, alongside the support they receive from their Jobcentre Plus personal adviser.
	The introduction of the flexible new deal across phase 1 areas from October 2010 will give providers the freedom to offer personalised, tailored support to everyone who has been claiming jobseeker's allowance for 12 months, helping them overcome their individual barriers to work.
	This will be available to jobseeker's allowance customers of all ages to ensure that everyone has the best possible chance of finding work.
	In addition, the budget announced the future jobs fund and young persons guarantee. Future jobs fund places will be available for older people from disadvantaged areas who are facing significant barriers to employment.

Child Benefit: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families received child benefit in each parliamentary constituency in Lancashire in the latest period for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	Estimates of the number of child trust fund accounts opened for children born on or before 5 April 2007, in each parliamentary constituency, are available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/cons-stats-oct08.pdf
	Latest estimates of the average number of families benefiting from tax credits, as well as the average number of in-work families benefiting from the child care element in each Government office region, local authority and parliamentary constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes, are available in the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publication Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised annual awards. Geographical analyses 2006-07. This publication is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	HMRC do not produce these statistics separately for child tax credit and working tax credit. Information is not yet available for 2007-08 at parliamentary constituency level. Further information can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tc-delay-07-08.htm
	Latest estimates of the number of families who were claiming child benefit in the areas requested are provided in the HMRC annual publication Child Benefit geographical statistics. August 2006, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/geog-aug06.pdf
	Figures for August 2007 are not yet available.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the establishment of a US Emissions Trading Scheme.

David Kidney: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with his counterparts in the US Administration on US climate and energy policy, including proposals currently before the US Congress to establish a US emissions trading scheme.

Carbon Emissions: Government Departments

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of progress towards meeting the target of making the central Government estate carbon neutral by 2012.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Energy and Climate Change is currently leading work to define what is meant by carbon neutrality for the Government and the private sector. Once this work is complete, the Government will review the target for the central Government office estate to be carbon neutral by 2012 and the implications for departmental delivery.

Carbon Emissions: Housing

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many grant applications were received by the Low Carbon Buildings programme in respect of  (a) schools,  (b) hospitals and  (c) other public buildings in (i) West Chelmsford constituency, (ii) Essex and (iii) England in each year since the inception of the programme.

David Kidney: holding answer 8 June 2009
	The following grant applications were received by the Low Carbon Buildings programme in respect of  (a) schools,  (b) hospitals and  (c) other public buildings in (i) West Chelmsford constituency, (ii) Essex and (iii) England in each year since the inception of the scheme.
	
		
			  Low Carbon Buildings Programme: phase 1 
			  Communities stream 
			  Number of applications 
			   West Chelmsford  Essex  England 
			  2006-07
			 Schools 0 0 22 
			 Other Public Buildings 0 1 5 
			 
			 
			  2007-08
			 Schools 0 0 2 
			 Other Public Buildings 0 0 5 
		
	
	
		
			  Stream 2A (below 100,000) 
			  Number of applications 
			   West Chelmsford  Essex  England 
			  2006-07
			 Schools 0 0 13 
			 Hospitals 0 0 0 
			 Other Public Buildings 0 0 23 
			 
			  2007-08
			 Schools 0 1 28 
			 Hospitals 0 0 0 
			 Other Public Buildings 0 1 45 
		
	
	
		
			  Stream 2B  ( Above  100,000) 
			  Number of applications 
			   West Chelmsford  Essex  England 
			  2006-07
			 Schools 0 0 1 
			 Hospitals 0 0 0 
			 Other Public Buildings 0 0 1 
			 
			  2007-08
			 Schools 0 1 1 
			 Hospitals 0 0 2 
			 Other Public Buildings 0 1 7 
			  Note: Some applications were resubmitted so these are not all unique applications. 
		
	
	
		
			  Low Carbon Buildings Programme: phase 2 
			  Type of organisation  For year  West Chelmsford  Essex  England 
			 Schools 2006-07 0 0 3 
			  2007-08 0 2 196 
			  2008-09 0 6 475 
			  2009-10 0 1 95 
			  
			 Hospitals 2006-07 0 0 0 
			  2007-08 0 0 0 
			  2008-09 0 0 4 
			  2009-10 0 0 0 
			  
			 Other public buildings 2006-07 0 1 3 
			  2007-08 1 1 140 
			  2008-09 0 6 199 
			  2009-10 1 1 55 
			 Total (phase 2)  2 18 1,167 
			  Note: Number of grant applications received (includes accepted, submitted (currently being processed), withdrawn and rejected).

Carbon Emissions: Research

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research his Department has  (a) conducted and  (b) commissioned on strategies to deliver a low-carbon economy.

Joan Ruddock: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has an ongoing programme of work on what a low carbon future for the UK might look like, including strategies for delivering a low carbon economy.
	As part of this, DECC has conducted and commissioned a range of research, including to model scenarios for reducing energy system CO2 emissions, and worked with partners on analysis of possible technology options for the future of energy supply and demand.
	In addition, research has been carried out in other Departments to support policy development in this area. As part of its work to understand the costs and benefits of the Climate Change Act, DEFRA commissioned analysis of the costs of meeting the UK's climate change targets; and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills commissioned a report to support the development of the Government's low carbon industrial strategy, which will be published in the summer.
	Government's analysis of policy options has also taken account of research commissioned and conducted by organisations outside Government, both in the UK and elsewhere.

Community Energy Savings Programme

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which areas will be covered by the Community Energy Savings Programme; and what the delivery mechanisms for the programme will be.

Joan Ruddock: Proposals for the delivery mechanisms for the community energy saving programme (CESP) and which areas to target were set out in the CESP consultation document published on 12 February. The consultation closed on 8 May.
	We are considering the outcomes of this consultation and aim to make announcements shortly.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps have been taken by his Department to improve the thermal efficiency of its buildings in the last 12 months.

David Kidney: Since DECC's inception, BERR and DEFRA manage the Department's estate. Given that, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Natural and Marine Environment, Wildlife and Rural Affairs on 23 April 2009,  Official Report, column 816W, and by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on 31 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1180.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has drawn up a shortlist of potential special advisers on the development of national policy statements on  (a) wind farms and  (b) nuclear power plants; what remuneration will be provided to such advisers; and what criteria will be used to select them.

David Kidney: We have not drawn up a shortlist of potential special advisers on the development of national policy statements on  (a) wind farms and  (b) nuclear power plants and currently have no plans to do so.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on hospitality and entertainment since its inception.

Joan Ruddock: 117,600.00.

Departmental Rail Travel

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what guidance his Department has issued to staff on claiming for travel in first class carriages on trains if there are no seats available in standard class.

Joan Ruddock: Staff who are not ordinarily entitled to travel by rail in first class are advised that may do so in the following circumstances:
	when travelling with a colleague entitled to first class travel
	when no standard class seats (except on suburban lines) are available
	when there is a genuine business need.
	These guidelines are consistent with the practice of other Government Departments.

Energy Supply

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the report of the Special Representative of the Prime Minister on International Energy Issues on global energy trends and the implications for Britain's energy security will be published; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: We expect the report of my right hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, North (Malcolm Wicks) to be published in the summer.

Energy: Billing

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure energy  (a) bills and  (b) tariffs are understandable to consumers.

David Kidney: DECC firmly believes that consumers should be able to access the information they need to allow them to make the right decisions about energy use, tariffs and suppliers.
	It is important to reach the right balance so that consumers have enough information but are not obstructed by too much or poorly presented information. Ofgem has recently held a public consultation on proposals for new obligations on suppliers relating to consumer information, in order to take the various views of interested parties into account. We look forward to seeing results from that process in order to get the best result for consumers.

Energy: Conservation

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent in respect of the British Gas council tax rebate scheme for energy efficiency measures; what criteria are used for the allocation of such funding; and what proportion of the costs of the scheme is met by local authorities.

David Kidney: The scheme in question is not managed, funded or monitored by this Department. The information requested is held by British Gas and their associated local authorities and cannot be provided by DECC.

Energy: Domestic Appliances

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of progress in introducing energy-efficient domestic appliances in the UK.

Dan Norris: I have been asked to reply.
	DEFRA's Policy Analysis and Projections, published in July 2008, contains such an assessment. It also sets out how the efficiency of products will need to improve in order to meet the Government's targets of annual savings of 3.6-11 million tonnes of CO2 from efficient products by 2020, as set out in May 2007's Energy White Paper.
	The analysis was published after a full consultation in spring 2008 and can be found at
	www.mtprog.com/whitepaper.
	In line with the Government's commitment to consult annually on these projections, the analysis will be issued for a second consultation in summer 2009. The second consultation will contain updated projections of the CO2 savings resulting from the introduction of energy-efficient products for both the domestic and non-domestic sectors.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of progress towards liberalisation of the European energy market.

David Kidney: I welcome the progress being made on the development of the internal energy market, especially the recent agreement of texts for the third liberalisation package. This legislation will come into force early in 2011 and will benefit consumers through the development of more competition, especially between member states, and by enhancing security of supply. In order to improve the operation of the market, the UK is encouraging member states to implement early and on a voluntary basis those elements of the package related to transparency and co-operation between national regulators and system operators.

Fuel Poverty

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to meet the Government's 2010 target to eradicate fuel poverty in  (a) vulnerable households with a disabled person and  (b) all vulnerable households.

David Kidney: Tackling fuel poverty is a priority for the Government. Our present policies and programmes, in particular with the changes announced in recent months, underline our commitment to do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure that vulnerable households do not live in fuel poverty.
	We have set in place a wide range of measures to tackle fuel poverty and so far have spent more than 20 billion on policies and programmes to alleviate fuel poverty.
	Since 2000 we have assisted over 2 million households in England in the private sector through the Warm Front Scheme by fitting insulation and heating improvements for households in receipt of means-tested or disability-related benefits. The scheme now has a budget of over 950 million for the spending years 2008-09 to 2010-11.
	The Government's programmes also assist vulnerable households through the provision of income-based policies. We have increased the winter fuel payments, which helped keep 12 million people warm last winter, by an extra 50 for pensioners aged 60-79 and 100 for those over 80, and this will continue next winter. We have also increased cold weather payments from 8.50 to 25 per week and made 8.4 million payments worth 210 million between November 2008 and March 2009.
	To ensure as many households as possible are eligible for assistance we have arranged for benefit entitlement checks to be carried out through Warm Front. To date some 48,000 checks have been completed. The average increase in income for applicants identifying new benefits is 30.64 per week or 1,590 per year.
	A review of our fuel poverty policies is under way. The review is examining whether existing measures to tackle fuel poverty could be made more effective, and whether new policies should be introduced to help us make further progress towards our goals, particularly in light of market conditions and our aims to reduce carbon emissions.

Hartlepool Power Station

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for the future of Hartlepool nuclear power station.

David Kidney: Future plans for power stations are a commercial matter for companies that own and operate them.
	Plans for Hartlepool nuclear power station are an operational matter for British Energy, part of EDF Energy.

Longannet Power Station

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions his Department has had with the management of Longannet power station on recruitment of engineering contractors during the shutdown for maintenance.

David Kidney: holding answer 24 April 2009
	 The Department has had no discussions with Longannet power station management about the recruitment of engineering contractors during the recent shutdown for maintenance.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will undertake to provide sufficient funding to provide grants to all solar photovoltaic technology applications under phase 2 of the low carbon buildings programme which meet the eligibility criteria and which are submitted between 23 March 2009 and September 2009.

David Kidney: holding answer 16 June 2009
	 The Government have committed a further 45 million to the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) in the recent Budget. This now brings support for the programme to over 130 million. The new funding will help to support more solar PV installations, alongside other renewable and low carbon technologies. Since December 2008 we re-allocated 9 million funds from within the Low Carbon Buildings Programme to solar photovoltaic and we recently announced that a further 5 million of the 45 million would be transferred to immediately support solar PV applications.
	We have put in place plans to extend Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 to support the full range of microgeneration technologies, including solar PV, from 1 July 2009. Further information is available from the Low Carbon Buildings Website:
	http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/home/

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the Low Carbon Buildings Programme will receive the 45 million of additional funding allocated in Budget 2009.

David Kidney: holding answer 18 June 2009
	 Following the announcement of the 45 million in the Budget 2009 we allocated 5 million to phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) to support solar photovoltaic applications.
	LCBP phase 2 will be extended and start on 1 July with a budget of 30 million supporting charitable organisations, community groups and the public sector.
	We have allocated 10 million to LCBP phase 1 to support household installations.

Natural Gas: Russia

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has held discussions with  (a) the Russian government and  (b) the European Commission on recent statements of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that there were emerging risks surrounding stable gas supplies to Europe this winter.

David Kidney: holding answer 22 June 2009
	The Government are working closely with EU partners to avoid a further interruption to European gas supplies. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the matter with President Barroso on 4 June 2009 and there has been subsequent discussion at both the Energy Council on 12 June 2009 and the European Council on 18 and 19 June 2009.
	While the UK has had bilateral contacts at official level with both Russia and Ukraine, the first priority should be to establish the facts of the situation and the Government strongly supports the recent European Commission mission to Moscow and Kiev for this purpose.

Nuclear Power Stations: Apprentices

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the creation of apprenticeships in the construction of the next generation of nuclear power stations.

David Kidney: New nuclear build in the UK has the potential to require 1,000s of workers, with apprentices in the industry and supply chain being an essential part of this workforce.
	The National Skills Academy for Nuclear, launched in January 2008, has the responsibility for co-ordinating existing training provision on a regional and national basis, and aims to deliver 1,200 apprenticeships to the industry by the end of 2011 through a number of initiatives.
	In addition Cogent, the sector skills council for the nuclear industry, has commissioned in-depth research on the nuclear labour market. This is scoping the demand for skilled workers, including apprentices, in the supply chain for new build, which includes in manufacturing and construction. This will further assist in identifying the training and skills interventions required to be put in place.
	There is close working between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills on these issues.

Renewable Energy

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the net trading  (a) gains and  (b) losses in each local authority area arising from the manufacture and sale of (i) wind turbines and (ii) other means of renewable energy generation.

David Kidney: holding answer 11 June 2009
	 The Department supports the development of the manufacturing of renewable energy generation in the UK. This includes creating a supportive policy framework for the deployment of renewable energy in the UK (including long-term support for deployed renewable energy generation), as well as targeted support for the development of next-generation and lower cost wind energy technology. An example is the recently-launched 10 million scheme to support offshore wind deployment under the Environmental Transformation Fund, which aims to stimulate and encourage the development and demonstration of offshore wind technologies, and components for larger turbines, to enable their deployment within 2020 time scales.
	However the Department does not hold information on the level of either wind or renewable manufacturing broken down by local authority area.

Renewable Energy

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average time taken for  (a) solar,  (b) photovoltaic,  (c) ground source heat pump,  (d) air source heat pump and  (e) biomass microgeneration technologies to produce savings equivalent to their cost; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: Payback periods are generally difficult to estimate accurately, because of the huge amount of variation that can come from system costs, system capacity and energy produced, fuel displaced, size of the house and energy prices from different suppliers. Payback periods will also depend on changes in energy prices in the future and as we cannot predict future trends in energy prices, it is very difficult to give an accurate payback period.
	The following table details average costs of systems for each technology type and the annual cost savings on fuel bills relative to each technology type where specific assumptions have been made:
	
		
			  Technology  Average total cost ex VAT  ()  for LCBP funded installations (to end May 2009)  Possible cost savings from annual fuel bill (as published on EST website) 
			 Air source heat pump 7,400 20 to 700 savings on fuel bills per year.(1) 
			 Ground source heat pump 10,800 160 to 840 savings on fuel bills per year.(2) 
			 Solar PV 13,000 Approximately 190 saving on electricity bill per year.(3) 
			 Solar thermal hot water 4,100 Approx 50 to 85 saving on water heating bill per year.(4) 
			 Wood fuelled boiler 8,900 170 to 410 per year if fuel displaced is solid fuel or electricity.( 5) 
			 (1 )Savings are approximate and vary depending on the fuel displaced. Assumptions are that the air source heat pump provides 100 per cent. of space heating and up to 50 per cent. of hot water, with the additional 50 per cent. provided by electric heater, in a detached property. (2) Savings are approximate and vary depending on the fuel displaced. Assumptions are that the ground source heat pump is installed in a detached property which provides 100 per cent. of space heating and up to 50 per cent. of domestic hot water, the additional 50 per cent. is met through an electric heater. (3 )Assumes a 2kWp system with 50 per cent. on site consumption with excess exported to the grid on a typical export tariff (A 2kWp system could provide over 40 per cent. of a household's yearly electricity needs). (4) Savings are approximate and vary depending on the fuel displaced. Savings are based on the hot water heating requirements of a three-bed semi-detached home with a 3.5 m squared panel. (5) If you replace a gas or solid fuel system with a wood burning system you may end up paying more for your fuel 
		
	
	Support for householders and communities has been provided through the low carbon buildings programme 131 million grant scheme which has helped with up front costs. The Government are committed to bringing forward feed in tariffs and the renewable heat incentive in April 2010 and April 2011 respectively. These incentives will also play a part in reducing pay back period.

Renewable Energy: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to source renewable energy supplies for Coventry.

David Kidney: We published last summer a consultation document on measures to meet our target of 15 per cent. renewable energy by 2020. We will publish our renewable energy strategy this summer, detailing an action plan for promoting further renewable energy deployment throughout the UK.
	It is for the market to bring forward proposals for renewable energy projects in specific areas.

Renewable Energy: Pembrokeshire

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of  (a) the capacity of and  (b) constraints on the development of potential wave power and tidal power projects off the Pembrokeshire coast.

David Kidney: The Government have recently announced that work was commencing towards a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) for English and Welsh waters, which will include the Pembrokeshire coast.
	As a first step, we are conducting a screening exercise to understand better the energy generation potential of marine energy devices and the realistic time scales of when multiple devices will be installed and commissioned. The screening exercise will inform planning for the various studies and other activities needed to put in place a strategic environmental assessment for marine energy devices. It will cover wave, tidal stream and tidal range (outside of the Severn estuary) and aims to map environmental sensitivities and constraints and to identify possible strategic level data and information gaps.
	The screening exercise will build upon the data already gathered for the Offshore Energy SEA, the Severn Tidal SEA, the Welsh Marine Energy Strategic Plan, the UK Marine Renewable Energy Resources Atlas and other studies.

Renewable Energy: Public Consultation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to publish his response to the renewable energy strategy consultation.

David Kidney: We published an initial response to the renewable energy strategy consultation on 17 February 2009. This can be viewed on:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/cons_res/cons_res.aspx
	The renewable energy strategy will be our formal response to the consultation and will be published this summer.

Solar Power

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will provide funding for the manufacture of domestic energy generation products using photovoltaic technology.

David Kidney: holding answer 19 June 2009
	 A low carbon economy represents a huge economic opportunity and is at the heart of the Government's vision for economic recovery. Budget 2009 committed a further 1.4 billion in targeted support for the low carbon economy.
	The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) is the Government's 131 million grant programme which is supporting the installation of microgeneration technologies including solar photovoltaic. The programme is helping to build the supply chain for these technologies and creating a sustainable market. In addition, solar photovoltaic also receives support through the Renewables Obligation (RO). Since 1 April 2009, all microgenerators (50 kW and under) can apply for the highest level of support under the reformed RO (2 ROCs/MWh).
	We are committed to having Feed-In Tariffs in place in April 2010. This will provide longer term support for solar photovoltaic industry giving business the confidence to make investment decisions.

Solar Power: East of England

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding his Department has allocated to promoting take up of solar panel usage in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and  (b) the East of England since it was established; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: Between 2001 and 2006 over 41 million was committed to solar PV through grant programmes and field trials. Solar thermal technology, along with other renewable technologies, received support through the 12.5 million Clear Skies programme.
	Since 2006, solar PV and solar thermal installations have been supported under the 131 million Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP). Projects supported in Mid Bedfordshire constituency and the East of England region in each year since are as follows:
	
		
			  LCBP householder stream 
			   East of England  Mid Bedfordshire 
			   Grant offered  Paid amount  Grant offered  Paid amount 
			  2006-07 
			 Solar photovoltaic 367,707.32 228,187.66 0.00 0.00 
			 Solar thermal hot water 99,600.00 78,800.00 1,200.00 1,200.00 
			  
			  2007-08 
			 Solar photovoltaic 68,765.00 172,673.68 0.00 0.00 
			 Solar thermal hot water 52,800.00 62,000.00 800.00 800.00 
			  
			  2008-09 
			 Solar photovoltaic 183,794.80 138,134.80 9,420.00 2,500.00 
			 Solar thermal hot water 102,400.00 96,800.00 3,200.00 2,800.00 
			  
			  2009-10 
			 Solar photovoltaic 37,260.00 19,420.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Solar thermal hot water 17,200.00 14,800.00 800.00 1,200.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Phase 1: Communities( 1) 
			   East of England  Mid Bedfordshire 
			   Grant offered  Paid amount  Grant offered  Paid amount 
			  2006-07 
			 Solar photovoltaic 30,364.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Solar thermal hot water 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			  
			  2007-08 
			 Solar photovoltaic 5,173.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Solar thermal hot water 0.00 5,276.50 0.00 0.00 
			  
			  2008-09 
			 Solar photovoltaic n/a 0.00 n/a 0.00 
			 Solar thermal hot water n/a 0.00 n/a 0.00 
			  
			  2009-10 
			 Solar photovoltaic n/a 0.00 n/a 0.00 
			 Solar thermal hot water n/a 5,173.00 n/a 0.00 
			 (1) Applications closed for the communities stream in April 2007 
		
	
	
		
			  Stream 2A (below 100,000) 
			   East of England  Mid Bedfordshire 
			   Grant offered  Paid amount  Grant offered  Paid amount 
			  2007-08( 1) 
			 Solar photovoltaic 36,353.50 n/a 0.00 0.00 
			 Solar thermal hot water 43,549.90 n/a 0.00 0.00 
			  
			  2008-09 
			 Solar photovoltaic n/a 25,000.00 n/a 0.00 
			 Solar thermal hot water n/a 9,589.20 n/a 0.00 
			  
			  2007-08( 2) 
			 Solar photovoltaic 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Solar thermal hot water 26,546.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 (1) Applications closed for Stream 2A in September 2007 (2) Applications closed for Stream 2B in September 2007 
		
	
	 Low Carbon Buildings ProgrammePhase 2
	Projects supported in Mid Bedfordshire constituency and the East of England region in each year since are as follows:
	 (a) There have been no accepted solar applications in Mid Bedfordshire for the duration of the programme.
	 (b) The following applications were supported in the East of England area.
	
		
			  East of Englandvalue and number of project accepted per FY 
			   Solar PV  Solar Thermal 
			 Number of projectsNumber of projects 
			 2006-07 58,988 1 9,805 1 
			 2007-08 443,206 23 15,502 7 
			 2008-09 847,511 40 137,034 14 
			 2009-10 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	Solar PV also receives support through the Renewables Obligation (RO). Since 1 April 2009, all microgenerators (50 kW and under) can apply for the highest level of support under the reformed RO (2 ROCs/MWh). We do not maintain data on the number of ROCs claimed per constituency or region.

Vestas

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will discuss with the Vestas turbine company the future of its factories in Southampton and on the Isle of Wight.

David Kidney: The Department and my predecessor have held discussions with Vestas regarding their announcement to consult on the future of their UK manufacturing capacity. No sector is immune from the economic downturn, and we are taking urgent action to ensure manufacturers can invest with confidence to supply the onshore and offshore wind markets, including the announcement in the Budget of up to 4 billion of new capital from the European Investment Bank that could support UK renewable energy projects, which should provide confidence for the onshore wind supply chain, and an intention to consult on a time-limited uplift in the level of support for offshore wind through the Renewables Obligation.
	I recognise that commercial decisions on the supply of turbines for renewable generation are a matter for the companies concerned. SEEDA, the local regional development agency, has established a task force to provide a package of co-ordinated support that provides the company and its employees with advice and guidance during the consultation period, includingif Vestas' consultation does lead to redundanciessupport on every opportunity for seeking alternative employment, training and re-skilling.

Wind Power: South Downs

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost of the project to construct wind turbines in the South Downs National Park.

David Kidney: The Department does not hold information on the cost of any proposed development in the South Downs National Park. This is a commercial matter for the developer concerned.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to answer Question 241930, on fuel poverty, tabled on 4 December 2008.

David Kidney: holding answer 12 June 2009
	According to DEFRA's records the question was answered on 18 December 2008 but that answer never appeared in the  Official Report. The question has now been answered and I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to question 241930. I apologise for the delay.